All You Need Is Ron
by JamieParker
Summary: Inspired by the movie Edge of Tomorrow. Ron Weasley was brought up a Slytherin and so, believes that all Muggleborns are scum. But when Ron gets stuck in a time loop, he will be forced to work together with a certain, bushy-haired witch and her famous best friend. A story about love, heroism and choices. Mostly canon-compliant. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello.**

**The idea for this story came to me the other day when I was rewatching Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. If you haven't seen the movie, go watch it or at least catch the trailer. For those of you who want to know, EOT is a story where the world is at war with aliens. The aliens possess a power where after an event has happened, the aliens can repeat that same day at the start but with the knowledge of what is going to happen. Like a time loop. So in the movie, Tom's character manages to get similar powers and Emily's character basically helps trains him while getting him to help them win the war by dying and repeating the days over and over again. Back to this story, so the fanfic is inspired by the movie which is, in turn, an adaptation of a Japanese anime All You Need is Kill which gave me the idea for the title.**

**That night after the movie, I had a dream picturing Emma Watson as Emily with Rupert Grint as Tom and I couldn't help laughing to myself at how absurd it was before realising how much I would love to see something similar but in a HP story. While this story will take bits and pieces from the movie's and anime's plot itself, it will be quite different as well.**

**I wanted the story to start from that point but I thought it would be important for you to know what Ron is like first and his relationship to Hermione. This chapter will contain snippets of Ron's life in the first five years at Hogwarts.**

**That being said, I hope you enjoy this story and please give me reviews. I will be updating on a weekly basis and each chapter will vary in length. This story is AU but will follow canon mostly except for CC. Happy reading!**

**CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST FEW YEARS**

…**.**

**1982**

It seemed almost like a cliché that bad and sad things tend to happen on a rainy day.

Albus Dumbledore wiped away a tear as he watched the wizards and witches who had gathered around raising their wands in the air, shooting out pure beams of white light. From across him, he could hear the loud crying of two babies with red hair while the other Weasley children appeared to do their best to remain strong.

_Death is but the next great adventure._

Dumbledore grimaced at his own words, words he had spoken to many students over the years in order to reassure them; their young, impressionable minds were a concern for him. Dumbledore himself could recall his own experiences with death, none more so than his sister Ariana, whose death soon sparked the greatest wizarding duel the world had ever seen. Even now, decades after the incident, Dumbledore could still recall the screams of his brother as he stared down at the lifeless eyes of Ariana looking back in shock.

"Dumbledore."

Albus turned around to see Amelia Bones, a newly appointed Wizengamot and official within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Though the square-jawed witch had jet black hair, Dumbledore could see strains of grey starting to spout off the top of her head.

"Amelia," Dumbledore replied as he stared at the witch. Amelia was known for her serious and stoic expressions and yet here, Dumbledore could see her crumbling, her face a mixture between sadness and apologetic.

"I tried but…the Ministry had overruled me."

"I owe it to them, Amelia. Both of them." Dumbledore said as Amelia noted his serious tone. Heaving a sigh, Amelia removed a piece of parchment from her cloak.

"I did manage to get us the best possible option," Amelia said as Dumbledore read the parchment. "As I already spoke to you before, they've already decided that Bill and Charlie will join us, considering their educational needs. I had to do a little bit more pushing and I've managed to secure Fred, George, and Ginny."

"Percival and Ronald?" Dumbledore asked. Amelia shook her head.

"Believe me, this was the best I could do. The Purebloods wanted them all but I convinced the Wizengamot to let us keep five. Separating the twins would be disastrous and well, I had to choose between Ronald and Ginny."

"And you picked the girl?" Dumbledore asked as a tear streaked down Amelia's face.

"It was either that or lose them both. I don't like this any more than you do, Albus but this is Ministry Law. The family is part of the Sacred 28 for Merlin's sake and unless Molly and Arthur have another closer living relative, other than unstable Aunt Muriel, crazy uncle Bilius or just anyone with the means to take care of all the children, I would have forced the Ministry to send them there. Unfortunately for all of us, the people most suited and next in line happens to be the Blacks."

"Why not Andromeda? Why can't we push for this?" Dumbledore demanded.

"You know how it is, Albus. The war is over and now the Purebloods want their place back into society. Andromeda's marriage to a Muggle would cause anarchy within their ranks. Any attempt to take Percy and Ron will seem like a form of prejudice against them and could cause civil unrest, given that the Weasleys are one of the oldest Pureblood families. Trust me, Albus. This is the best I can do."

Seeing the resigned look on the witch's face gave Dumbledore pause as he heaved a sigh. On one hand, Dumbledore knew that leaving the two Weasley boys to the Purebloods was the last thing he ever wanted to do. On the other, it could mean placating the Purebloods and allowing for peace after years of war. Deep within the recesses of his mind, he could hear a young eighteen-year-old boy whispering the words he knew all too well.

_For the Greater Good._

"So Narcissa has both boys?" Dumbledore spoke grimly. To his surprise, Amelia shook her head once more.

"She's petitioning to let Percy be raised by the Parkinsons once the paperwork has been finalised. Ronald, however, would be raised by her as well as her sister-in-law Morgana Malfoy."

"Is that allowed?" Dumbledore asked as Amelia nodded her head. Dumbledore shook his instead and turned his attention back to the funeral at hand. He could see both coffins being lowered as several of the Weasleys were now crying openly. He could see the blue eyes of Ronald staring back in confusion and fear at Bill who was holding him while sobbing hard at the sight. A lump soon formed inside Dumbledore's throat as he felt his own face getting wet as the rain helped masked his tears.

"We are going to lodge another appeal. And I'm going to see to it personally that none of the Weasley children ever break ties or forget each other." Dumbledore spoke as Amelia nodded before joining the mourners herself. Dumbledore kept his gaze on the surviving Weasley members, his heart aching in pain as he recalled the lives of two of his dearest friends who gave up everything for the war.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I'm sorry, Molly." Dumbledore whispered to no one in particular as the rain kept pelting down on him.

…..

.

.

**1991**

"SLYTHERIN!" The Sorting Hat roared as its decision drew a mixed reaction from the crowd. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were whispering furiously amongst themselves as some of the Gryffindor students shot dark looks at him. The whispers grew louder as Ron left his seat to the uproar and applause from the table of wizards and witches in green.

"Isn't he a Weasley?!"

"I thought he'll be in Ravenclaw like Percy."

"He's Malfoy's cousin. What did you expect?"

As Ron took his seat next to Draco who gave a large pat on his back, his eyes drifted towards the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. He could see both Fred and George giving him dark looks while his brother Percival gave a curtsy nod in his otherwise indifferent look. Ron turned back at Draco who was beaming at him.

"Looks like I beat you. The Hat didn't even land on my head before shouting Slytherin!" Draco cackled as Ron gave his adopted cousin a playful nudge.

"Bloody Hell, the stupid thing kept saying a lot of tosh! I didn't even listen to its rubbish." Ron grumbled as he felt his stomach churning. "Merlin, when's the feast?! I'm starving!"

"You're always starving!" Draco said as Ron laughed before landing his eyes back on the Gryffindor table. He soon spied the two individuals he was looking for.

"Check out the Mudblood and Potter," Ron whispered as Draco turned his attention to the bushy-haired girl and the raven-haired wizard with the famous scar. "Can't believe you wanted him to be our friend, Draco."

"It's Father who told me to do it," Malfoy whined as he glared at the pair. "Can you believe that tiny bloke actually beat the Dark Lord? What a load of dragon dung."

"Well, if he keeps associating himself with the likes of Granger, we will have to do something, won't we?" Ron said as Draco laughed, his mind already racing with pranks to pull on the two.

"What about Longbottom?" Draco said as he spied the timid Gryffindor student seated next to Harry.

"If Longbottom stays out of my way, I have no issues with him," Ron replied. "Love his sweets, though."

"Wish you share it with us," Crabbe whispered as Ron turned to the pair of Goyle and Crabbe, two young Pureblood wizards that Draco already marked as his cronies. Ron scoffed at Crabbe as he reached down into his robe to bite the head of a Chocolate Frog.

"Scabbers was hungry," Ron replied indifferently. His eyes soon turned to the bushy-haired witch next to Potter, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones before the pair exchanged glares and turned away. Despite this, Ron couldn't help himself to sneak one final look at Granger, his disgust for the haughty Muggleborn witch rising. At the back of his head, he could hear the Sorting Hat speaking to him once more.

"_What a conundrum I'm in!" the Sorting Hat spoke as Ron felt a wave of uneasiness rush over him. He had been worried that the Hat would not put him in Slytherin as he wanted. Instead, the Hat spoke of Hufflepuff as it deemed him to have loyalty and Ravenclaw for having a strategic mind._

"_Slytherin, please. I want Slytherin!"_

"_Really?" the Hat exclaimed, its voice filled with pity. "I admit you do possess more values that are endearing to Salazar's cause and yet, I find myself wanting to put you in Gryffindor. If it is, Slytherin you want, then so be it."_

"_Wait!" Ron cried before the Hat could announce his house. It was curiosity, more than anything else that made Ron ask the question._

"_Why do makes you think I should be in Gryffindor?"_

"_Because, you have the one quality that Godric prizes above all else, Ronald."_

"_Which is?"_

"_Courage, my boy, courage."_

…..

.

.

**1992**

"Where you're going, mate?" Draco asked as he and Ron left the Quidditch Pitch. Around his arm, Ron had a package wrapped in green as he winced from the aching pains in his body. Since Draco's appointment as Slytherin Seeker, Ron together with a few of their Slytherin second- years had banded together to help Draco improving his Seeker abilities. With the holidays approaching, only Ron, Crabbe, Goyle and Draco with some of the Slytherin girls were the only ones staying behind. Draco's father was still under investigation and Ron had volunteered to stay back with his cousin.

"Going to see my sister. Give her my gift." Ron said as Draco nodded. Despite them all living apart, Ron and his siblings often met each year on certain occasions in order to foster and remember their family ties though truth be told, Ron only felt a connection with his older brother Percival and Ginny. While the rest of his brothers shunned him and Percival being as indifferent at times as a stranger could be, Ginny was the exception. Her adopted family was poor and Ron, having the beneficiary of being raised a Malfoy, often spoilt her with gifts and coins. Being Ron's sister also had other benefits like the Slytherins being warned off from making fun of her.

"Hope she likes it," Draco said as he clapped Ron's back. Ron smiled back at his cousin. In many ways, Draco was his only true brother. Having been cousins, the pair had started off tumultuously until Draco, being an only child, felt the loneliness of it all and started warming up to Ron. Ron knew most of Draco's secrets and vice versa, the pair nearly inseparable. Ron knew that Draco liked Ginny too and though Ron would never admit to this, secretly wished that Draco and Ginny would get together someday, cementing his relationship with Draco.

Ron and Draco entered the Great Hall as Draco made a beeline towards the Slytherin table. Dinner had arrived and Ron ignored the grumblings in his stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his brothers Fred and George shouting to students to get out of Harry's way, calling him the Heir of Slytherin. Scowling at the two prats, Ron approached Ginny who was strangely isolated at a far corner of the table.

"Ginny," Ron said as he beamed at his sister for a moment before his expression turned to shock. Instead of a bubbly and lively eleven-year old, Ron was faced with a pale and sick imitation of his sister, slowly staring into her bowl of mushroom soup.

"Ginny, are you okay?" Ron said as he sat across his sister, who looked like she was near death. Ginny looked up from her soup, her brown eyes looking lost as she stared back at Ron. Ron could see her clutching her bag tighter to her chest.

"Ron, I…yes…I am fine." Ginny replied after a momentary pause, his eyes seemingly resigned to some sort of fate.

"You look far from fine, Ginny," Ron said as he grabbed his sister's hand, surprised by how cold it was. He could see what appeared to be blood and dirt being lodged under her fingernails. "Ginny, what's wrong? You can talk to me."

"Nothing's wrong, Ron," Ginny whispered. "I've just been stressed."

"You look like you need a trip to Madam Pomfrey. Have the twins not been taking care of you?" Ron said as his eyes glinted dangerously at his elder brothers.

"I'm….I'm…." Ginny stammered before breaking down in tears. Instinctively, Ron rushed to the side of her table, holding his sister in his arms. It broke his heart to see his sister like this. Ron felt a wave of brotherly love coursing through his veins. Why had Ginny succumbed to this? Ron thought before his eyes turned to his two brothers. Anger now grew in him as Ron glared daggers at his brothers who were now seated with Potter, Granger, and Longbottom.

"I wish you were in Slytherin instead. No one would hurt you there, Ginny."

"I have to go!" Ginny said suddenly as a terrified look came across her face. Pulling herself away, an unusual red glint in her eyes made Ron pause for a moment before watching his sister depart from the Great Hall. Guilt coursed through within him as Ron watched his sister leave. How he wished Ginny was in Slytherin! His guilt soon turned to anger as Ron turned his attention back to the Gryffindors. Gripping tightly to the package that he had brought for Ginny, Ron marched his way towards the laughing Gryffindor students as he slammed the package onto the table.

"What the fuck are the two of you doing?!" Ron demanded as the entire Hall suddenly grew silent. Both Fred and George had shocked expressions on their faces while the trio of Longbottom, Potter, and Granger looked warily at him. Ignoring the looks, Ron took a step forward, his full height putting him level with the twins.

"I said what the fuck are you doing?! Have you not seen our sister?! You two prats are supposed to be taking care of her, you bloody fuckers!"

"What did you call us?" George whispered dangerously as Fred took out his wand. Ron scoffed at the twins, his temper very much in control.

"I called you fuckers! Because I thought, that even though Ginny had to go to Gryffindor, you two miserable gits who take care of her. But she looks like hell, you bloody wankers!" Ron said as he slammed his hand against a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"You're one to talk!" Fred growled. "Busy having fun with your Slytherin pureblood mates, have you?"

"Don't you dare accuse us of not caring when you've turned your back on this family," George added.

"This family!" Ron mocked as he shook his head. A look behind the twins showed no Professors and faculty members present and this gave Ron a much-needed boost. "You talk about family when you don't even take care of the one who Mother apparently loved the most. Mother would be ashamed."

A gasp from Hermione told Ron that he had taken it too far as Fred pointed his wand at him. Instead of doing the same, Ron threw his wand on the ground.

"Pick it up and face me, you Slytherin coward." Fred hissed as Ron glared back.

"I don't need a wand to beat the shit out of you, Fred," Ron said as he clenched his fists. "What the hell have the two of you been doing, huh? You're supposed to be her brothers! I know the two of you don't give a shit about me but Ginny? She's a child, for Merlin's sake."

"YOU'RE HER BROTHER TOO!" George roared as he threw his wand on the ground. "Don't act so high and mighty just because you're a Malfoy!"

"Don't you fucking turn this around. What have the two of you been doing? Bullying her?!"

A sarcastic grunt made all three boys turned around to the source as Hermione Granger glared back at Ron.

"You're one to talk. You and your Slytherin gang have been bullying us for the past two years!"

"No one asked your opinion, you Mudblood." Ron turned to see Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, together with a few Slytherin students behind him. Harry and Neville leapt to their feet, both glaring towards Draco.

"Don't you dare call her that!" Neville roared.

"Oooh, I'm so frightened. The little Blood Traitor suddenly grew a spine." Draco taunted as cackles and laughter broke amongst the Slytherin.

"Perhaps you should be, Malfoy." cried a wizard by the name of Dean Thomas. "Rumour is Harry is the Heir of Slytherin."

"Not to mention, he owned your arse at the Duelling Club," George replied as the other Gryffindor students started to laugh.

"Please," Ron said, at the defense of his friend. "No Heir of Slytherin would ever be best friends with a Mudblood."

The mention of the name drew shock and gasps amongst the crowd. Ron, despite being Draco's best friend, often left the Mudblood insults to Draco, choosing to leave such taunts between his fellow Slytherins. Ron felt a pair of arms grabbed his collar.

"I never thought I'll see the day, _brother_." Fred spat as Ron pushed the former off his robes. "For the first time, I'm glad Mom and Dad are gone. If they could see just what you've become, it would kill them."

"Maybe if they had chosen to be who they are, they wouldn't be dead," Ron spoke as another gasp came across the crowd. Ron could see George about to throw a fist towards his head before something splattered across his face. Draco let out a howl of anger as Ron wiped off the remnants of the mashed potato that someone had thrown at him.

Nothing but the sight of Ron dripping with mashed potatoes could have pulled Fred and George out of their rage. Instead, a temporary look of shock came over the twins before both started to howl in laughter. Ron turned to the culprit who held the bowl of mashed potatoes in her hand.

"I'm sorry but you were just so mean that I had to...AHHHH!" Hermione screamed as a roast beef sandwich landed on her face. Ron turned to see Draco getting high-fives from Crabbe and Goyle.

"FOOD FIGHT!" the twins yelled as all chaos and pandemonium broke loose. Students from all four houses were grabbing and pelting each other with bits of food while a few of the younger students cowered underneath the table. Through the melee, Ron spied Hermione whispering something to both Neville and Harry. Without warning, the pair leapt across the table, throwing themselves at Ron and Crabbe.

"What the fuck?!" Ron roared as Neville Longbottom appeared to be trying to yank his red hair off. Kneeing the boy in his groin, Ron pushed off the groaning Neville as he tackled Harry to the floor.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

The booming voice of Minerva McGonagall echoed throughout the Hall as the Hogwarts students dropped everything and turned to face her in horror. Behind the Deputy Headmistress, were Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout with a cheery Lockhart clapping his hands in glee.

"Ahhh, a pre-Christmas celebration. Did you know that in my travels, I once came across a village tha-"

"Quiet!" Snape snapped as Lockhart made a face before quietening down. Ron watched as McGonagall and Snape approached the group, their stares as intimidating as they could be.

"Who started this?" McGonagall asked. Before Ron could answer, Draco spoke up instead.

"It was Granger, Professor," Draco exclaimed as he pointed his finger towards the witch. "She threw a bowl of mashed potatoes at Ron."

"Is this true, Miss Granger?" McGonagall spoke as Hermione gave a squeak of distress. Everyone knew that McGonagall was Granger's favourite teacher and the disappointment on her face gave Ron a strange kind of pleasure.

"Malfoy and Weasley threw things too!"

"Oh, shut up, you telltale!"

"Don't talk to us, you family traitor!"

"It was the Nargles, Professor Flitwick!"

"SILENCE!" Snape roared as the protests from the students disappeared underneath the tone of his voice.

"Never…" McGonagall spoke, her voice seething with anger. "Never in the thousand years of Hogwarts and in all my years of teaching have I ever such a foolish and disrespectful display of actions. Do any of you see the kind of mess you've made in the Hall?! You are students of Hogwarts and yet you behave no better than a wild group of chimpanzees! I should vote to cancel all Hogsmeade future visits as well as give everyone here detention!"

Ron could see the other students exchanging looks of worry as the older ones appeared to be in disbelief over what the Professor had said.

"As far as I'm concerned, to give you all detentions would be punishing the faculty and I see no reason why we have to suffer for the stupidity of all of you. This fight couldn't have started without cause so I want to know, who are the two or more individuals responsible for this mess?!"

Ron watched as Hermione raised her hand, her eyes glaring at Harry, Neville and the twins. She appeared to be whispering something to Potter who merely sighed before nodding his head. McGonagall then turned to her attention to Malfoy who looked terrified. Realising that Malfoy could lose his place on the Slytherin Quidditch team, Ron raised his hand quickly.

"Weasley? What did you do?" Snape asked as Ron cowered slightly under the gaze of his House professor.

"I kneed Longbottom in his parts and shoved Potter. I also threw some food at Granger."

"Why would you do that?" McGonagall asked though Snape appeared to have a hint of a smile.

"Because they're idiots," Ron said as he glared at his brothers.

"Was it an act of retaliation?" Snape said as his eyes twinkled with glee. "Because, if so, then Minerva, we mustn't punish Weasley for defending his housemates."

Ron couldn't explain the reason for what he said next. Perhaps it was the way he felt somewhat guilty for starting the mess. Perhaps it was his guilt for taking care of Ginny as much as he should. But as Ron stared at Hermione Granger, with bits of mashed potato dropping down her hair and her face looking close to tears at having disappointed her favourite teacher, a slight tug in his chest made him feel something for called her a Mudblood.

_Guilt?_ Ron thought. Nevertheless, it needed to be said. If not for nothing, Ron took pleasure in having to be able to hold this over his brothers, with all their talk about how Gryffindors were supposed to be brave.

"It was me, Professor. I started it."

…

_I'm in hell_ Ron thought as he shuddered at the task in front of him.

In the absence of Dumbledore who was off in some meeting, Professor McGonagall took charge of their punishment. To say that she was angry was an understatement. McGonagall ordered all those who took part in the food fight to clean up the entire Great Hall with no magic. Despite protests from Draco, the Slytherins had no choice but to join in as well and Ron was grateful for Draco whose spiteful remarks about Potter and his friends drew the Slytherins' attention away from him. Yet, McGonagall had bestowed the worst of all punishments to both him and Granger, a punishment so horrifying that Ron wouldn't even wish it upon his worst enemy. Ron glowered at Hermione, whom unlike him, seemed to be revelling in the task at hand, her face pink as she continued to scribble away on the parchment.

"Wonderful, Hermione, wonderful!" Professor Lockhart cried as Hermione's face reddened under the compliment. "Well, this certainly sounds like me. It can be difficult, you know, being so famous. Ronald, you need to write more than two sentences. My fans demand something for their adoration and we mustn't disappoint them." Lockhart said as he gave Ron one of his famous smiles while handing back the thank you note that Ron had passed to him.

"Please kill me." Ron sighed as he wished McGonagall had asked him to clean trophies with a toothbrush or having to help Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest. From what he heard, Draco had a horrible time last year in his detention though Ron doubted it could be as bad as this.

"Suck up!" Ron whispered harshly as Hermione glowered at him. A sneak peek at the front desk showed Lockhart admiring himself in the mirror, a task which took a minimum of a half hour.

"Oh, shut up!" Hermione said rudely as she turned away from him. "Don't you even dare think about copying off me, Weasley."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Granger," Ron replied as he turned away from her. "I don't need to see those mushy, sick love letters you write."

"Professor Lockhart is a well-respected wizard and this is honestly the best detention we could ask for," Hermione said matter-of-factly as Ron turned to gape to her.

"Are you serious, Granger? Or have you forgotten our first class with him? Or our lessons? Or the Duelling Club?"

"People make mistakes."

"Lockhart's a mistake. Someone should Obliviate him just so he can spare us from spreading his stupidity." Ron snapped as Hermione turned to face him, her eyes glaring.

"Merlin, you've really are a horrible person, aren't you? Don't you have anything nice to say?" Hermione said as Ron opened his mouth to protest, only to be cut off by the witch. "Oh I forget, you're a Slytherin who thinks all Muggleborns are Mudbloods. My bad!"

"What's it to you, anyways, Granger?" Ron retorted. "It's not like you lived in our world long enough to be affected by the term. People call me traitor, a snake, a coward and all sorts of horrible things each day, you don't see me acting out."

"Just because I've only been in this world for a short period of time, doesn't mean I don't understand when someone's being a racist!" Hermione snapped. "But what do you know, you oaf? You and your Slytherin friends love taking advantage of those you think are beneath you, favouring your kind above all others."

"And you don't?!" Ron whispered harshly. "How about last year when you and your friends stole the Cup from under us? All those points added by Dumbledore just because he had a soft heart for Potter."

"That's because we stopped a certain Dark Lord from taking the Stone and saving the school, you moron!" Hermione replied as she glared at him. Ron stared at her before giving Hermione a smirk.

"Stopped the Dark Lord? Please. You and your friends were rescued from him when Dumbledore returned. I heard you couldn't even get past the chess set."

"How did you know about that?!" Hermione said sharply. Ron remained silent, recalling how Snape had complained out loud to his House about the truth behind Potter's antics last year.

"Whatever!" Hermione cried exasperatedly. "Like you could have gotten past it, anyways."

"Of course, I could," Ron growled back. "I've been playing chess long before you can imagine. All it takes is about knowing who to sacrifice."

"And I supposed you would do that, right?" Hermione scoffed. "Sacrifice yourself."

"Of course, I would!" Ron roared. "Why did you think I took the fall for this instead of Malfoy?"

"Because you, Ronald Weasley, are nothing more than a stooge who believes in all this pureblood nonsense and you would do anything to ensure that your cousin continues in his vile ways." Hermione cried. "I bet you don't even know why you hate Muggles!"

"Muggles persecuted our kind, didn't they?" Ron snapped. "Burn them at the stake, hanged them. You really want to defend your kind that caused two wars and nearly destroyed the planet?! No, instead, you choose to mate with them, causing our magical roots to be tainted over the years until finally, it's all gone. Do you even know why Salazar build the Chamber? To get rid of all of you before Hogwarts becomes infested with the Muggle disease and our kind dies out."

"Is that why Malfoy's been attacking Muggleborns?" Hermione demanded as Ron gaped at the bushy-haired witch.

"Malfoy?!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief before sniggering. "You think Draco is behind this? I thought you were the smart one, Granger. The Chamber had been open fifty years ago and someone died. The Heir has nothing to do with Malfoy?"

"Maybe Malfoy's related to the Heir," Hermione said as Ron shook his head.

"Don't you think that if Malfoy had such power over the Chamber, he would wait to unleash it this year? Besides, the Slytherin lineage ends in either Selwyn or Gaunt. Every Pureblood knows that. But neither one has a student in Hogwarts right now."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because…" Ron said as he stared back at her. "Because Malfoy is my brother and this entire rumour about Potter supposedly being the Heir is making him go crazy. At least this way, you can tell your goons the truth and maybe the rumours will stop."

"You really care about Malfoy, don't you?" Hermione said, her tone no longer unfriendly. Instead, it had a curious element to it, almost as if she was starting to assess something.

"Of course, I do. He's like my brother and I always stick by family."

"Not Fred and George, though."

"Those prats had it coming to them!" Ron snapped. "Just because they hate me, doesn't mean they should neglect their duties to Ginny."

"Why can't the lot of you just get along?" Hermione whispered softly as Ron let out a grunt before scowling at her.

"There's no point in me explaining that to you, Granger. Even Potter and Longbottom couldn't understand me and they both lost their parents as well. I was brought up by Aunt Narcissa and Mother and I'll be damned if I turn my backs on them now. Ginny was the only one who cared about me and I'm not going to turn my backs on them either. No matter what they do, no matter how horrible or unforgiving, they're my family. But my brothers, even Percy, they can just go to hell. Always picking on me and giving me those looks like I'm a monster. Forget them!" Ron said as he threw his quill on the floor, his actions not caught by Lockhart who seemed to be in the process of perfecting his next smile.

"Draco's my brother, just as much as Ginny is my sister." Ron sighed, his anger slowly dissipating as he thought of Ginny and how, once things were sorted, he was going to have a long talk with her. Just like Lockhart, Ron was so caught up with his thoughts that he hardly even noticed Hermione staring back him in silence with puzzlement in her eyes as she tried to figure out the enigma that was Ronald Weasley.

…

**1994**

To say that Ron Weasley was angry was an understatement. He, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle together with Pansy, Daphne and Tracey had gone down to watch Buckbeak being executed only for McGonagall to turn them away. Watching the great beast die would have been the reward he deserved for having undergone a wretched year in Slytherin from having Granger's cat kidnap Scabbers, Sirius Black entering their dungeons and standing over his bed with a knife and Slytherin losing the Quidditch Cup. Ron blamed everything on the stupid Prophet article that forced the Weasleys to gather together at the start of the year in order to chronicle the life of the Weasley siblings.

More than anything else, Ron was angry that retribution hadn't been given to the Golden Trio, the school's so-called nickname for the trio of Longbottom, Potter, and Granger. He and Granger had been at each other's throats all year round, his anger boiling over on two occasions; when he found Crookshanks' hair near where Scabbers was and when Draco told them how Granger had hit him. Only the comfort that Buckbeak was to be executed gave Ron pleasure in knowing how the Trio would feel having to lose a pet.

It was perhaps, coincidence, that Ron bumped into Colin Creevey, the second year who worshipped the ground that Potter walked on. Taking his camera from him and pushing the wizard aside, Ron made a beeline for Hagrid's Hut. If he was lucky, he could at least take a photo of the headless beast. Ron was surprised to see Snape pushing past him, the professor not noticing Ron as he ran out of the castle. As Ron walked about the outskirts of the Forest, he spied an unusual sight hidden behind the trees near Hagrid's Hut. Ron was surprised to see Buckbeak still alive and sniffing for worms on the ground. Ron had assumed that Macnair and Fudge had seen to the beast's execution but it seemed that Potter and Granger, the pair who stood next to Buckbeak had decided to save the creature. Smirking to himself, Ron snuck quietly behind the pair, careful to not let the Hippogriff catch him before taking out his wand and clearing his throat.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Ron said as Harry and Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Don't even think about it, Potter." Ron snarled as Harry reached for his wand. "All I have to do is shoot sparks and yell and your precious animal here gets his head cut off."

"Weasley…" Harry growled though he remained still, his eyes darting to Buckbeak who appeared not to care about what was happening. Ron turned to Hermione, who to his surprise, had a look of fear on her face.

"Think I'll just let you off the hook for letting your cat kill Scabbers?" Ron said as Hermione's eyes darted from him to the direction of the Whomping Willow.

"Ron…you don't understand…" Hermione said as she exchanged looks with Harry.

"Don't call me that, Granger!" Ron said, disgusted that Hermione would use his first name. "All I wanted was for my pet to be alive and you and your stupid cat killed it. But guess what? There's no retribution for you, is there? The Great Granger and Potter, breaking rules and doing whatever the fuck you want!"

"Scabbers isn't dead, you bloody git!" Harry snapped as Ron turned to face him, his wand aimed directly at his head.

"Give me a reason, Potter."

"Like you need one, Weasley."

"Oh, that's right. I've already had one. This is for Scabbers!" Ron said as he turned his wand upwards into the night sky. Hermione gave a loud cry.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione said as she stood in front of Harry. "Listen, please listen to me. Crookshanks didn't kill Scabbers. Scabbers is not a rat, he's an Animagus!"

"What?!" Ron cried.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed.

"Shut up, Harry!" Hermione spoke desperately as she turned to face Ron, her eyes brimming with tears. "Do you want to know why Sirius broke into your dormitory? He wanted to kill Peter Pettigrew, the true form of Scabbers."

"What?!" Ron cried in disbelief as he shook his head. Peter Pettigrew was the man who Sirius Black killed all those years ago although Aunt Narcissa often scoffed at the story, though Ron was unsure why.

"If you don't believe me, then how about this?" Hermione said as she pointed at the Whomping Willow. "In about a few minutes, Pettigrew will emerge from the tree with Professor Lupin and Neville."

"Emerge from the tree?" Ron repeated as Hermione let out a cry of frustration.

"There's a secret route linking the tree to the Shrieking Shack," Hermione said as she pointed at the tree once more. "It's used for Professor Lupin who is a part werewolf."

"Geez, Hermione, why don't you just tell him everything?" Harry cried indignantly.

"That's old news. Snape's already told us that weeks ago." Ron said as Harry and Hermione gaped at him. Harry looked to Hermione, his face imploring her to not say anything else but Hermione ignored Harry as her eyes laid upon the camera around Ron's neck.

"Here, I'll prove it," Hermione said. "In a matter of minutes, those three will come out and I'll snap you a picture. You can even take my wand if you like."

"WHAT?!" Harry cried.

"Shut up!" Ron and Hermione cried in unison. Ron eyed the witch as he processed what she was telling him. It seemed unlikely and yet, Granger seemed confident of what would happen. Having her wand would be an advantage.

"You owe it to Harry, at least. For saving your sister last year." Hermione spoke as Ron was stunned by her words. Though the thought disgusted him, Harry Potter was credited with saving Ginny's life though the mystery as to how she was possessed still remained to him. Begrudgingly, Ron nodded his head as he handed the camera over with Hermione throwing over her wand.

After a few minutes, a loud ruckus was heard as the trio stared in the direction of the Whomping Willow. Sure enough, Professor Lupin emerged with Pettigrew in hand while a wounded Longbottom was being helped by the two.

"I can't believe it," Ron said as Hermione snapped a photograph before standing right in front of him.

"Here," Hermione said as she handed him the photograph. "Now, please leave."

"Wait!" Ron said as he glared at her. "I never agreed to walk away!"

"But you know that Pettigrew's alive so you know that I'm telling the truth! What more can you want?!" Hermione cried as she continued to block his vision by holding the photograph to his face. Pushing Granger aside, Ron tried to stare at the Whomping Willow.

"Get out of my way, Granger!" Ron said as he tried to push Hermione away, only for the most unexpected thing to happen.

Hermione Granger threw her arms around Ron and planted him with a kiss on his lips.

Ron froze in shock as he felt Granger tug her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. There was something about her, a scent of lavender shampoo that Ron found to be not too intolerable. His arms, while frozen at first, appeared to now be around her waist as a sound of a camera clicking broke Ron from his trance.

"What the hell?!" Ron said as he pulled away, wiping his lips furiously. Looking up, he could see both Harry and Hermione pointing their wands towards him, Buckbeak blocking him from the view of the Whomping Willow.

"Turn around and go back to the castle," Harry whispered as Hermione stared at him. Perhaps he was seeing things but it seemed like Granger's cheeks were flushed while the tips of his ears felt kind of…hot. "If you breathe a word about tonight, we will distribute this picture to everyone in Hogwarts."

"What?!" Ron fumed. "Granger kissed me, not the other way around!"

"Try telling that to your mates," Harry said as he showed Ron the photo. Indeed, it seemed that Ron was enjoying himself, the thought of him getting cosy with a Muggleborn sickening him. Letting out a cry of frustration, Ron turned around as he ran away, focused on getting washing his lips as soon as he can.

"I can't believe you kissed him!" Harry said as he stared at the departing Ron.

"I panicked!" Hermione cried as she grew disgusted about what she had done. "Imagine if Ron had seen our past selves, how would we explain that we were at two places at the same time?"

"Hermione…" Harry cried as Hermione watched an idea dawned upon her friend. "Come on! I think I know how to deal with the Dementor problem!" With that, Harry took off leaving Hermione alone with Buckbeak, who seemed to be judging her with its Hippogriff eyes.

"What?!" Hermione cried indignantly as she glared at Buckbeak who merely grunted at her. Hermione felt herself shudder at the thought of her kissing Weasley was more than enough of an excuse to have a thorough shower and brush once the day was over. As she raced after Harry, Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly disturbed about the faint stirring in her stomach, the source of it from a redhead wizard with blue eyes.

….

.

.

**1995**

Despite Madam Pomfrey's best efforts, Hermione could still feel the itchiness on her skin. The boils from the undiluted Bubotuber pus were gone but it still made her want to scratch at her arms. A week after Rita Skeeter's story was published and still, the hate mail was coming in. If not for her friends Harry and Neville and the Tournament itself, Hermione would have seriously considered asking Professor McGonagall if she could just finish her semester over the holidays.

"You're heading to the library, Hermione?" Harry asked as the trio headed down the first-floor corridor. Hermione nodded her head, trying to ignore the stares and glares that the other students were giving her.

"Ignore them, Hermione," Neville said as he glared at a couple of Hufflepuff second years who ran off in the opposite direction. "You know how news is. Sooner or later, it will blow over."

"Easy for you to say," Hermione muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes at a Beauxbaxton girl. "Don't you all have anything better to do?!" Hermione hollered as some of the students looked away while a few others merely sneered at her. Hermione soon felt two arms gripping her as Harry and Neville pulled her away.

"Let me go!" Hermione said as she pulled herself off, Harry. "Sorry, Harry," Hermione replied as soon as she noticed his slightly abashed look. "It's just with all the rumours going on, the last thing my reputation needs is for me to be seen being whisked away by Harry Potter."

"Right," Harry replied, looking sheepish. "My bad."

"Why don't we all just go to the library? We could look for more spells that will help Harry in the Final Task?" Neville spoke, eager to move on. A nod from Harry showed that he shared similar sentiments. However, Hermione shook her head.

"I think I need some time alone for now. You're right, Neville. News does eventually die out but I think it's best if I had some space, at least for a week. We'll still spend time, just that, I'm going to need some time to myself."

Harry smiled at Hermione as he nodded his head. Neville, on the other hand, looked ready to protest.

"Nev, it's not that I don't want to spend time with you. It's just that if I do spend time with you alone, can you imagine Rita and her fans will think? And you thought me stringing along two guys were bad?" Hermione said.

"But what if someone were to try something?" Neville exclaimed.

"It's Hermione, Nev. She'll be fine." Harry chuckled as he grabbed Neville's arm. "Come on, Nev, we can go down to the kitchens or something."

Hermione smiled as she watched her two best friends depart. Sometimes she wondered if she should have some female friends instead of just hanging around Harry and Neville all the time. Of course, she did have Parvati and Lavender but the two were just acquaintances at best. She was close to Ginny Weasley but the girl seemed too young to be her friend at the moment although she did recently help Hermione out of a tough spot.

If there was one thing that Hermione hated the most about Rita's article, even more than hate mail, vicious stares and undiluted Bubotuber pus, it was that it took from Hermione one of her favourite places in the castle. The Hogwarts Library was like a sanctuary to her, like how the Quidditch Pitch was to Harry. It was at the library that Hermione felt the most comfort, where people kept to themselves and was, all in all, a safe place for her to do her work in peace.

Yet the article had caused her to become a minor celebrity, all for the wrong reasons. As soon as she entered, Hermione could feel all eyes on her. Though silence was a rule for any library, Hermione could still hear the whispers and soft chattering as she passed through the tables towards the shelves. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione could see the table where she first talked to Viktor Krum. She walked past a group of sixth-year Gryffindor boys who were snickering at her bushy hair while over at the far side of the library, she could see a group of fourth-year Slytherin girls pointing fingers at her.

Walking at a brisk pace, Hermione made her way to the tables at the back of the library. It was mostly empty as the place had poor lighting yet Hermione didn't mind. It was better for her that the place was dark, that way no one could see her cry. After a minute of crying to herself, Hermione pulled herself together as she reached into her bag for her books. A soft clearing of the throat startled Hermione as she turned around to see her face to face with Ron Weasley.

"Why are you here?" Ron asked as he stared at Hermione. "Wait, have you been crying?"

"Of course not!" Hermione snapped as she composed herself from the surprise of seeing the redhead. Throughout the year, while Draco and his goons had prided themselves on continuing to mock and torment Hermione and her friends, Ron was unusually quiet though he did partake in laughing and sneering at her. _This is the last thing I need today_ Hermione thought as she narrowed her eyes at him. "The library doesn't belong to you, Weasley. I can be here if I want!"

"I know that!" Ron barked as his eyes darted around her. "Are you waiting for Krum or something?"

"Waiting for Krum?!" Hermione cried indignantly. "Why would I be waiting for Krum?"

"Because, _Miss Granger_, do you know what students do at this part of the library specifically?" Ron said as he smirked at her.

It took Hermione two seconds before she cursed herself for being so stupid. Over the years, Hermione had recalled how she often reported to Madam Pince about the certain salacious activities that students had been doing at this part of the library, much to the chagrin of many.

"Guess I'll leave you and Krum to it, then?" Ron said as soon as a brunette haired witch with green eyes and a slim figure came out from between the aisles.

"Ronnnn, where did you go? I was…what's Granger doing here?" Tracey said as she glared at Hermione while putting her arm around Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes at the display before reaching for her bags.

"Whatever, enjoy yourself," Hermione said as she packed her things. Her arms started to get itchy once more as Hermione continued to scratch. Noticing that, Ron whispered something to Tracey who nodded her head and disappeared.

"Granger, are you okay?" Ron asked as Hermione let out a sigh of frustration at her books falling to the floor.

"I'm fine! I'm just dandy, okay." Hermione grumbled as she reached for a book, only for the itch to worsen. "Oh, for Merlin's sake!"

Tracey returned as she handed something to Ron who gave her a peck on the cheek before the former left the pair of them.

"Here," Ron said as he handed Hermione a black bottle. "This will help to take care of your itching problem."

"No thanks," Hermione said as she continued to scratch her arms. Ron shrugged his shoulders before opening the black bottle and dipping a little of the black liquid on his fingers. Grabbing Hermione's arm before she could protest, Ron dipped a little of the liquid on her skin.

"Let go of me, Weas –" Hermione said before realising that the part of her arm where the liquid had touched was no longer itchy. "What is that?"

"A concoction made from mandrake roots and the liquid of a bezoar amongst other things," Ron said as he held up the bottle. "Aunt Narcissa gave me and Draco a bottle each. Considering how often we would get into scraps while playing Quidditch, even Essence of Dittany wouldn't be enough. Here, follow me." Ron said as he held out his hand.

"What? Where are we going?" Hermione asked as she stared at Ron's hand warily.

"Can't see much here, can you? We're going over there where there's better lighting." Ron said as he pointed to a set of tables on the far side of where they were. "Come on, leave your things and follow me."

"How do I know you're not like tricking me or something?" Hermione said as Ron pulled back his hand before rolling his eyes at Hermione.

"Why, you don't trust me, Granger?"

"Do I really need to answer that question, Weasley?"

"Fine, whatever," Ron said as he pocketed the bottle before turning around. As Hermione watched Ron about to leave, another surge of itchiness caused her to call out.

"Okay, fine!" Hermione said as she grabbed Ron and headed over to the tables. Hermione watched as Ron gently rolled up her sleeves before dabbing his hand into the bottle and applying the liquid carefully on her skin. Hermione felt a slight shiver go up her spine as she felt his large hands gently caressing and massaging the liquid into her skin. If Hermione had to be honest, it did feel good to have Ron's hands on her arm though Hermione's brain continued to remind of just how much she detested the redhead. Before she could dive into the issue further, a soft chuckle broke her away from her train of thought.

"Can you imagine what Skeeter would write about if she could see this?" Ron said. "I'll reckon she'll blow her top."

"One can only hope." Hermione sighed as she narrowed her eyes at Ron. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Don't play dumb. Why are you helping me?"

"Why shouldn't I help you?"

"Because you hate me?"

"True," Ron said as he rolled her sleeves back up. "But why shouldn't that mean I don't want to help you? It is possible for someone to help someone despite still hating that person."

"Only if they feel sorry for that person," Hermione replied as she sighed at the relief of having the itchiness disappear from her arms. "How long until the itchiness comes back again?"

"It won't," Ron said as he stoppered his black bottle. "The effects of this are permanent. You won't feel a thing unless you get injured again, of course."

"Well…thank you," Hermione said as she looked at Ron who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"It's okay. I just can't stand that Skeeter cow myself. She was the one that did the article on me and my siblings if you recall?"

"Wait, that was her?" Hermione said as Ron nodded.

"No one, literally no one asked her to do it but you know how Skeeter is, always wanting something shocking to write about, either in the Daily Prophet or Witch's Weekly. Let me guess, someone send you something through the mail?"

"Undiluted Bubotuber pus." Hermione sighed as Ron nodded his head.

"Figures. Plenty of women read Skeeter's articles. It was always bound to happen. You should just burn all the mail, you get."

"Can't burn Howlers, though," Hermione said.

"No, you can't." Ron agreed as he took a seat next to her. It was then that Hermione realised just how mesmerising his eyes were, the iridescent blue glittering through his gaze.

"Is it true, though?" Ron asked as Hermione gave him a puzzled look. "You and Harry. I mean, I know you went to the Yule Ball with Krum and all but I figured if you were to date anyone, it would be Harry."

"No, Harry and I are just friends," Hermione said as Ron scoffed at her words. "What?!".

"Yeah, right," Ron said as he shook his head. "You might be friends for now but sooner or later, you're going to fall for him."

"And what makes you so sure of that, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione asked indignantly as she folded her arms.

"Because you're best friends, ain't you?" Ron said as he folded his arms while giving Hermione a smirk. "Guys and girls can't be best friends without someone falling for the other. At least, that's what Nott keeps telling me."

"That's so not true!" Hermione snapped.

"Really? So then why didn't you just go with Neville to the Yule Ball as friends?" Ron said as he smirked at Hermione who looked nonplussed at his statement. "Isn't that the reason why he went out with my sister because you rejected him?"

"I did not _reject_ him!" Hermine replied sharply. "I merely pointed out that…er….if I did agree to go with him to the Ball, Harry might feel left out."

"Bollocks!" Ron exclaimed. "You didn't want to go out with him because you don't like Neville in that way."

"Fine!" Hermione cried. "I don't like Neville like that."

"Right," Ron replied. "Because you like Harry."

"I don't like Harry that way!" Hermione huffed. "Why am I explaining myself to you? What are you, an expert on love or something?"

"Seeing that I have a girlfriend while you're crying in some corner, I say I'm much more of an expert at the moment," Ron said as his grin grew larger. Hermione let out an internal groan of frustration. If there was one thing she hated more than arguing with someone, it was arguing with someone who actually made sense. Still, Ron didn't need to know that.

"Oh, and I suppose you getting one of your groupies to be your girlfriend was some sort of romantic quest?" Hermione said as she recalled the brunette witch. Somehow, the image of the fair-skinned, green-eyed girl unnerved Hermione more than it should.

"Please, Tracey and I were friends, she's not my groupie," Ron replied dismissively. "She told me that she thought I was cute at the start of the year and things progressed from there. No biggie."

"Wait, her name is Tracey Davis, right?" Hermione asked as Ron nodded. Having memorised the Sacred 28 from memory, Hermione was surprised the thought didn't come sooner. "She's a half-blood?"

"Pure on her mother's side but her father's a Squib," Ron said. "Why?"

"But she isn't a Pureblood?" Hermione cried incredulously. "I thought part and parcel about being a Malfoy is that you only mate with other Purebloods?"

"Mate with other Purebloods?" Ron repeated in disbelief. "What do you think I am, some sort of creature in need of proper breeding?"

"Well, yes!" Hermione cried. "If you marry her, doesn't that mean your kin won't be considered Pure any longer?"

"Who said anything about marrying her?!" Ron cried exasperatedly. "Bloody Hell, you're worse than my Mum or Aunt Narcissa. I'm only fourteen and she's only my girlfriend, for Merlin's sake!"

"Exactly!" Hermione said sharply. "She's your girlfriend, and given another three years, she could be your wife!"

"Not everyone thinks as far ahead as you do, Granger! I like Tracey and we're going out. That's all there is to it." Ron said before averting his gaze from Hermione. "Besides, if we continue to fall in love, who's to say I won't marry her?"

"Even if she's not a Pureblood?"

"Should that matter? At least she's not Muggleborn." Ron replied. It was strange to hear those words from Ron, given how much Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle often boasted of their Pureblood lineage. While Ron had anti-Muggle sentiments, Hermione didn't doubt that Ron would marry Tracey, putting an end to his Pureblood lineage even though she doubted that the Malfoys would approve.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ron asked curiously as Hermione shook herself from her thoughts.

"Nothing! I'm just…forget it. Yes, as long as she isn't Muggleborn, I supposed you'll be alright marrying her." Hermione replied curtly as Ron glared at her. "You know, I still don't understand why you hate Muggleborns so much."

"Didn't we already have this discussion two years ago?"

"No, I get the old why Purebloods hate Muggleborns argument. I'm asking why _you_ hate Muggleborns so much?" Hermione said as she smirked at him. "Or are you just another blind follower, eager to please the Malfoys?" Hermione felt a sense of triumph behind her statement. Knowledge had taught her that racism and prejudice often found their roots in bigotry and most people who were racist were often unable to describe or explain why they felt such anger towards particular groups. While she expected Ron's face to turn red in anger, Hermione was surprised to see Ron staring back in confusion at her.

"You mean, Ginny never told you?" Ron said as he tried to make sense of her words. "I mean, of course she was too young when it happened, so was I, but I thought Bill or Charlie would have told her the truth. Unless…Merlin…they didn't know…I can't believe it…after all this time…"

"Know what?" Hermione asked, curious as to what Ron would say.

Ron fiddled with his fingers as his eyes turned down to the ground. "Percival told me when I was young. I thought it was a lie, just something his Pureblood family would say to him but then, he showed me proof."

"Proof of what?"

"Of how our parents died."

"Your parents died in the war. That's what's written in the papers." Hermione replied as Ron shook his head. He looked back at Hermione, not as the cocky and smug Slytherin she known him to be but as a sad and poignant fourteen-year-old having to come to terms with something horrible."

"The war ended when the Dark Lord fell although there were many of his loyal followers still on the loose," Ron said. "Back then, after the Longbottoms were tortured, many people were on the lookout for Dark Wizards. My father and mother were on a mission, the first time for my mother ever since Ginny was born. One day, they met up with the wizard who was a black market dealer for magical artefacts and a Voldemort supporter. He was trying to sell something bad to this Muggle man. My dad intervened and potentially saved the Muggle's life from having been cursed or something. And do you know how the Muggle repaid my parents?"

"How?" Hermione asked softly, her tone fearful of the answer.

"He shot them both before either one had a chance to raise their wands," Ron replied darkly as Hermione unexpectedly reached out for his arm. "Imagine that. My father, defender of Muggles and Muggleborns only to be killed by one."

"Ron…I'm so sorry…I didn't know." Hermione said as she threw her arms around him. Surprisingly, Ron pulled her into a hug. Feeling his large arms around hers as Hermione pressed her head into his warm chest, Hermione couldn't help but appreciate just how nice it felt. Almost as if it was _comfortable. _She could even feel his arms pulling her tighter as all thoughts of Rita Skeeter and her recent troubles disappeared from her mind. The pair sat there, each holding on to each other until Ron pulled away. Merely inches from his face, Hermione could see the tiny freckles across his nose as his beautiful blue eyes glisten back at her. Hermione could feel her cheeks burning slightly as she noted how the tips of his ears turned pink as well.

"Right..er…sorry." Hermione cried sheepishly as she released her arms from him. She could see Ron staring back at her for a moment before looking away awkwardly.

"Right…well…yes…" Ron fumbled for words as he scratched his head, a gesture that Hermione found cute for some reason. She stifled a giggle that was bursting to come forth, instead Hermione composed herself as she looked at him.

"So only you and Percy know the truth? What about Dumbledore? Or the Prophet?"

"That was a story manufactured to keep us from the truth." Ron sighed as Hermione nodded.

"And Ginny?" Hermione asked. As soon as she did, Ron gripped her arms suddenly, nearly startling her.

"Never tell Ginny what I told you. Promise me, Granger!"

"I promise!" Hermione said as Ron let her go, embarrassed by what he had done.

"Sorry." Ron sighed once more. "It's just…it's Ginny, you know? She's the one person in this world that I love more than anything else. When we were young, us Weasleys were supposed to meet up at least twice a year to form ties but Ginny…well, considering that Mother and Aunt Narcissa both had a thing for her, given that they both didn't have daughters…Ginny was allowed to visit as much as she wanted. She's all I have from my first family, Hermione and I swore that I will never let anything hurt her."

The use of her name was like a jolt to her senses as Hermione stared at the wizard, who had been a bane in her life for four years, now reduced to a boy burdened by his past. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Ron accepted the gesture momentarily before pushing her hand away gently.

"Granger, can I ask you for a favour?" Ron said before whispering something into her ear.

…

Hermione Granger emerged from the Fat Lady's portrait as she saw Ron leaning against the wall. A few metres behind him stood his group of Slytherin years with Draco Malfoy and Tracey Davis glaring at her as she emerged. The unusual group also drew stares from the Gryffindors walking along the corridor as some eyed Hermione with suspicion.

"Here you go," Hermione said as she handed him the photograph of her and Ron kissing in their third year. Without thanking her, Ron snatched the photograph from her hand and placed an Incendio charm on the picture, prompting it to burst into flames.

"You're welcome," Hermione said sarcastically as Ron stared at her, his expression changing from a blank expression to a sneer.

"Can't believe you actually bought it, Granger," Ron cried out loud as he walked towards his group of cackling Slytherins. Draco clapped Ron on his back while Tracey gave Ron a peck on his cheek, leaving Hermione stunned and dumbfounded.

"Hermione!"

Hermione snapped out of her trance to see Ginny, Harry, and Neville approaching her. Harry and Draco exchanged dark looks before the Slytherin group disappeared down the corridor.

"Why were you talking to my brother?" Ginny asked suspiciously as the trio gathered around Hermione. Hermione sized up the situation. On one hand, she didn't want to betray Ron's trust yet Ron's actions in the last few minutes had perplexed her. Unable to control herself, Hermione soon explained the story to them. As she did, she could see Ginny's face turning darker while Harry and Neville exchanged uneasy looks between them.

"Hermione, I can't believe you actually fell for my brother's story!" Ginny exclaimed. "Oh, that prat! I'm so going to get back at him."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked as Ginny stared back incredulously at Hermione.

"Hermione, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one! My brother just lied to you about how our parents died! That's not how they died!"

"Wait…WHAT?!" Hermione yelled.

"Our parents were killed by Dark Wizards. There was even a Daily Prophet article on it and Dumbledore himself told us!" Ginny said.

"But…no…he said that Percival told him the truth...that it was all a cover-up."

"From Dumbledore?!" Ginny cried incredulously. "I understand you might have issues with reporters, Hermione but don't you think Dumbledore would keep something like this from us? From Bill or Charlie?"

"But…but…" Hermione stammered.

"Hermione." Ginny sighed as she placed her hand around the witch. "My brother and Draco invented that story years ago when they wanted to fool me into joining their Pureblood cause. I know this because Draco came to tell me, only for my brother to get cold feet and admit to their deception. And here's the other thing." Ginny said as she grabbed Hermione's hand. "That liquid that Ron gave you, he asked me that from me three days ago."

"What?!" Harry, Hermione, and Neville cried in unison.

"I've got that for a gift ages ago. Ron knew I had it and asked it from me. I'm betting he saw what happened to you and took advantage."

"For all we know, he might have sent the Bubotuber pus to you as well!" Neville cried angrily as Harry nodded his head.

"I don't know about that," Ginny said slowly as she flinched at the thought of Ron doing something so horrible. "But I do know that he and Tracey recently became attached. If you ask me, that's why Ron hasn't been as bad to you as the others. He knows you have the photograph that could ruin his entire reputation and well, seeing an opportunity like this was too good to pass up. Most likely, he seduced you in order to get what he wants."

"Excuse me!" Hermione cried indignantly. "He most certainly did not seduce me!"

"Really?" Ginny said. "Because from what you've told us, it looked that way to me."

"Don't feel bad, Hermione," Harry said. "He's Malfoy's cousin and right-hand man. I bet Malfoy helped him orchestrate the whole thing."

"Yeah, you can't trust any of them." Neville agreed.

"Don't forget, Hermione," Ginny said with a sigh. "He may be my brother and I do care for him but he's a Slytherin. Cunning and all that, remember?"

Hermione was stunned as she tried to process everything that had been said. Slowly, she could feel her anger rising as she let out a cry of frustration. _HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID?!_ Hermione roared in her head as she threw her bag on the floor.

"We should get back at him," Neville said as Harry reached down to pick up her bag. "Teach him a lesson."

"Let me handle it," Ginny said. "He's my brother, after all. I'll take care of it."

"No," Hermione said as she took her bag from Harry. Hermione Granger had had enough. As far as she was concerned, Ron Weasley wasn't worth the effort of getting revenge anymore. Inside, she could feel a new sensation rising, one that she didn't know she had.

_Hatred._

"Let's just focus on the Tournament," Hermione said grimly as the group walked towards the staircase. "I'm done with Ronald Weasley."

…

**1996**

Like everyone in Umbridge's office, Ron Weasley was fascinated by Hermione Granger's performance as he held Seamus Finnigan in a half nelson. Millicent had pushed Granger off as soon as the latter burst into tears. Neville was staring and trying to mumble something to her although Crabbe held on tight to him, less tightly than he would have liked after being told off by Professor Snape. Ginny appeared to have stopped trying to step on Pansy's toes, now staring at Hermione and even Luna, whose didn't seem to care much about being caught, looked mildly surprised. Ron could see Harry looking equally shocked as well as Ron exchanged a look with Draco, who looked to be just as dumbfounded as he was.

"The…the weapon," Hermione said as Ron stared at the witch. Having done his fair share of bluffing as well, Ron could see that Granger's face didn't seem to be as wet as it should be.

_She's lying!_ Ron thought as Umbridge continued to demand on the nature of the weapon.

"What kind of weapon is it?" Umbridge said harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.

"We don't r-r-really understand it," Hermione said, sniffing loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do . . ."

Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant. "Lead me to the weapon," she said.

"I'm not showing . . . them," Hermione said shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers. For a moment, Ron and Hermione's eyes met. Yet there was nothing there but pure disgust for him.

"It is not for you to set conditions,"Professor Umbridge said harshly.

"Fine," Hermione said, now sobbing into her hands again as Ron shook his head. _Fucking brilliant performance!_ Ron thought as Hermione continued to speak "fine . . . let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s-sort you out!"

These words seemed to have a powerful impact on Umbridge. She glanced swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad, her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Malfoy, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face. Umbridge stared at Ron too for a moment as she contemplated Hermione's words.

After a long moment, Umbridge spoke again in a strange motherly-type voice. "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me . . . and we'll take Potter too, shall we? Get up, now —"

"Professor," Malfoy said eagerly before Ron could protest. "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after —"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" Umbridge asked sharply, much to Ron's relief.

"In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" — she gestured around at Seamus, Ginny, Neville, and Luna — "escape."

"All right," Malfoy replied, looking sulky and disappointed.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," Umbridge said, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on. . . ." Umbridge spoke as her voice trailed off.

"Let me go!" Seamus croaked once more as Ron relinquished his hold, only for him to grab and throw Finnigan to the floor, aiming his wand at him. The gesture seemed to shock everyone, except Luna, who went back to not caring once more.

"Alright, what the fuck is going on?!" Ron barked as Seamus glared at him.

"What are you doing, mate?" Draco said as he stared at Ron in confusion, only for Ron to glare at him.

"Come on, Malfoy. Don't tell me you can't see it?! Granger was faking! You and I both know how she reacts when she cries and her story is just a load of dragon dung."

"Seems like you're an expert on lies, aren't you Weasley?" Neville said before Crabbe landed a punch on his chest as Neville dropped to the floor, wheezing in pain.

"Neville!" Ginny cried as she tried to help, only for Tracey to point her wand at Ginny. "Ron, do something!"

"Tell us the truth, Ginny," Ron said. "Why was Granger lying?"

"How do you know she's lying?" Ginny said as Ron narrowed his eyes at his sister.

"Fine. Maybe I can't read Granger." Ron said as he moved closer to Ginny. "But I know you, Ginny. So tell me, is there really a weapon?"

Ginny glared at Ron for the longest time before speaking. "Yes."

"You're lying," Ron said with a smirk as Draco and the Squad now aimed their wands at the other captors.

"Well, how do we get the truth from them?" Pansy asked as Draco grinned evilly. Staring at his sister who seemed to be looking at the fireplace, Ron made his decision.

"Who was Potter trying to contact?" Ron asked as Ginny stuck out her tongue at him. Angered by his sister's immature response, Ron grabbed her hand before motioning for Tracey to hand over her wand.

"The rest of you stay in the office. I'm going to interrogate my sister outside."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Tracey asked before shrinking as Ron growled at her in response.

"Ron…"Malfoy spoke as Ron turned to face him. Ron could see what was happening. Malfoy had always been the leader of the Squad and with Ron at his right-hand man making a decision, it seemed as if his authority was being questioned. Not wanting to waste time, Ron pleaded with Draco.

"Mate, please. We can't let Potter and Granger get away with it." Ron said as he stroked Malfoy's ego. Pleased that Ron seemed to be asking for permission and the repulsive thought of Potter and Granger getting one over them, Draco nodded his approval. Dragging a protesting Ginny who now tried to stamp his toes, Ron hoisted his sister onto his shoulders before pulling her out and into the corridor.

"Ginny, stop it!"

"Let me go, Ronald!"

"Fine, fine. I'm letting go!" Ron barked as he released his grip on his sister but kept both their wands trained at her. Ginny stared at the gesture before giving a derisive laugh.

"Oh, like you've trained well enough in the DADA!" Ginny scoffed. "Not to mention, we both know you won't hurt me."

"Bloody hell, Ginny!" Ron snapped as he lowered his hands. "Are you out of your bloody mind?! Whatever Potter and Granger got cooking up, it can only lead to doing something stupid. Not to mention, bloody fucking dangerous?! How can you even be friends with them?! Do you really want to get hurt?!"

The mention of his last statement froze Ginny for a moment before she narrowed her eyes at Ron.

"Ron, I'm going to ask you one last time. Do you know what really happened to Bill?"

"Not this again!" Ron groaned, as his thoughts went to his eldest brother who was hurt inside the Department of Mysteries. "I told you this before, I don't know what happened to Bill! All I know is that he got attacked!"

"And you have no idea who attack him?!" Ginny asked, clearly not believing him. "He's our brother, Ron!"

"Exactly! So why would I want to see him hurt?"

"Because you hate him!" Ginny screeched as her eyes blazed in anger. "You're always sprouting insults about him and our family!"

"JUST BECAUSE I HATE HIM, DOESN'T MEAN I WANT TO SEE HIM DEAD!" Ron roared back, his body shaking in anger. "You honestly think that I would know something about his attack and not do anything to prevent it?!"

"You and the Malfoys – "

"Oh, this nonsense again!" Ron cried. "I told you, I haven't heard anything from my aunt and uncle for months! Not to mention, mother placed me at our summer home for the past summer and the upcoming one. I have no idea what the adults are planning, Ginny! All I want is to graduate well, starting with my OWLs and then my NEWTs, not unlike our two brothers who just split!"

"You must think I'm the biggest idiot, Ron!" Ginny retorted, not wanting to give an inch.

"Ginny, I swear…" Ron sighed, no longer as angry as he was. "All I care about is my grades and my family. I have no intentions of doing anything bad to hurt anyone. Just please, Ginny, tell me what's going on."

Ginny stared at Ron, contemplating his words.

"We think Harry's godfather is about to get hurt. Harry wants to go and save him."

"Save him from what? At where?" Ron asked

"At the Department of Mysteries. From…from Voldemort." Ginny said with a shudder as Ron's face turned pale.

"Don't say that name!" Ron cried out loud as he looked about the empty corridor. "I'm…I'm confused. Just start from the beginning." As Ginny began telling a simplistic version of events leading to Harry's arrival at Umbridge's office, Ron's face started paling by the minute. As impossible as it seemed, Ron did have an inkling that the Dark Lord had truly returned, especially with Mother's refusal to let him stay at Malfoy's Manor.

"Ginny…" Ron said as soon as she finished explaining. "You…you can't go! I won't let you!"

"It's not up to you, Ron!" Ginny snapped. "My friends are in danger and I need to help them."

"But you'll get hurt!" Ron begged. "If what you say is true, then the chances of the Dark Lord being there is too high a risk. He won't care if you're a Pureblood or not."

"I'm sorry, Ron," Ginny said as she shook her head. "I have to help."

"But Ginny – "

Before Ron could say anything, he felt himself being thrown in the air before crashing against the hard, stone walls of the corridor. As he felt his body crumpled underneath the pain, he could make out his sister screaming as he heard footsteps emerging down the stairs. Ron was seeing stars, his eyesight shrouded in darkness though he could make out his sister reaching for her wand as she yelled at Seamus Finnigan.

"He had both wands, Ginny!"

"I had it under control, Seamus!"

"Guys, we don't have time! Harry and Hermione could be in trouble!" Neville roared as he disappeared down the corridor, with Seamus following suit. Ron felt a light hand touch his forehead.

"He's breathing, Ginny. He'll be alright." spoke the gentle voice of Luna Lovegood before Ron heard her footsteps walking away as well. A soft pair of lips touched his forehead as he heard Ginny whisper into his ear.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but I have to go," Ginny whispered as Ron felt his hair being brushed before all contact with Ginny disappeared along with her figure down the corridor. Aching in pain, Ron stared down the empty corridor, groaning one last time before the darkness took him.

_Ginny, don't!_

…

.

.

.

The events that happened at the Ministry that day changed the wizarding community. First came the news that Lord Voldemort was back and soon, everyone began to panic. Ron, however, wasn't privy to most of this first hand, the only news he had all summer came from letters as he stayed in the Malfoy's summer home in Greece. Whatever was happening back home, Ron only knew from newspaper articles as well as the letters he received from Ginny and Draco.

For some reason, Draco's letters were subdued, Draco only sharing stuff about Quidditch and simple day to day activities. Any questions about his health as well as Ron's aunt and uncles were dismissed as were Ron's questions to his Mother who told him not to worry. Ginny's letters to him were also similar though Ron suspected the reason for this to be because of the death of Harry's godfather as well as the injury to Seamus Finnigan. Apparently, Ginny had been visiting Seamus every day with Seamus's friend, Dean, something that irked Ron greatly. Nevertheless, not wanting to lose contact with his sister, Ron played along, promising to do all he can to dissuade Ginny from dating the Mudblood.

Potter was now a star, something that both he and Draco hated greatly. Potter's picture in the paper as some sort of hero made Ron angry, considering he had nearly caused Ron's sister her life with their crazy antics of flying into the Ministry. The news of what happened at the Department was kept silent by the Ministry although Ron had a suspicion of what might have happened. He had overheard during a surprise visit from Percival and the Parkinsons that some of the more fanatic Pureblood families had gone back to the Dark Lord's side although Ron refused to acknowledge the truth until it was told to him personally. A lifetime of denial for his adopted family's sake was a price Ron gladly paid and accepted until the very first ride on Hogwarts.

It wasn't that Draco hugged him tighter than usual that made Ron concerned but rather his disinterest with speaking to Pansy, his avoidance of Crabbe and Goyle and even his distaste for Blaise's stories which often made the pair laugh. Ron avoided the gaze of Tracey Davis, whom he had not spoken to since the end of last year, his feelings for her fading as he worried about Draco. A tiny motion for Draco's head signalled that he wanted to speak to Ron in private. Following Draco into an empty compartment with Draco looking out before pulling down the curtains, Ron observed his cousin who looked to be very much worse for wear.

"Merlin, Draco, you look like crap, mate," Ron said with a grin, hoping his attempt at humour could help stifle some of the tension as Draco paced about the compartment.

"Trust me, Ron. I feel like crap." Draco said before dropping onto his seat.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Ron asked before Draco lifted something from his pocket and threw it onto Ron's hands. A look at the object caused Ron's eyes to bulge as he stared back at Draco in disbelief.

"Take it," Draco said, answering Ron's question before it can be asked. "I'm going to inform Snape when I get back."

"You want me to be a prefect?" Ron said as he stared at Draco's prefect's badge. Ron had often felt a little jealous at Draco being appointed prefect but then again, as the de-facto leader of their group, no one else would have been suitable. Still, Ron couldn't help but feel a little resentment for it, an emotion that he had to quash daily. As far as he knew, Draco loved having authority and power.

"You always wanted it," Draco said with a rare smile on his lips. "I personally can't think of anyone better to replace me."

"Replace you?!" Ron cried. "Why the hell would you want to be replaced?"

"Because Ron," Draco said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't think I'm going to be staying in Hogwarts for much longer."

"WHAT?!" Ron exclaimed loudly, earning a glare from Draco. "Sorry, but why would you say that? Are Uncle and Aunt taking you away or something?"

"Or something…" Draco trailed off mysteriously as Ron stared at the wizard. Ron couldn't believe his ears. No way Draco Malfoy would give something like this up, not without good reason.

"Draco, mate, what's going on?"

"Nothing, all right?!" Draco snapped as Ron flinched under his tone. "You finally get to be a prefect, mate! Enjoy it! Treasure it! Do whatever the fuck you want, I don't care!"

"Draco!" Ron said as he threw the badge back at him. "Mate, just tell me. You've been acting weirder than usual today, not to mention your letters sounding dodgy as hell. What's going on, mate? You know I always have your back, no matter what, don't you?"

Draco stared hard at Ron, his grey eyes narrowing at Ron's face.

"You promise? No matter what, you have my back?"

"Mate, have I ever let you down?" Ron replied. "Look, I'm not Crabbe, or Goyle, or Pansy or that idiot Zabini. This is Ron, you're talking to. And you know how I always got you, mate, no matter how bad things can get."

Ron watched as Draco appeared to open his lips before clamming them shut. With a grave look on his face, Draco's eyes trailed down towards his sleeve. Ron watched with trepidation as the wizard reached for his sleeve before pulling it down towards his elbow.

Ron stifled a gasp. Despite what he had seen in books and the image of it in the sky during their fourth year, Ron could only gape in awe and fear at the sight of it on Draco's trembling hand. Even in his wildest thoughts, Ron could never comprehend just what made Draco do it.

And yet there it was, on his arm, as plain as it could be.

The Dark Mark.

…

**END OF CHAPTER ONE.**

**Next up with be Ron's sixth year which will be an important year and chapter for the plot of this story. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! I do enjoy reading each and every one of your comments so please if you could, just review if you can! I appreciate them all!**

**I'm pleased with all the feedback I received. I apologise for not updating sooner but I have been busy with exams and this chapter is really quite long for me. I'm glad that for all the interpretations of Ron and yes, I agree that Slytherin Ron can be quite unlikeable especially considering how he was brought up. You will see more of this as the story progresses, I'm afraid but don't worry, things will change soon enough.**

**With no disrespect to Dramione fans, I firmly believe that attraction is the foundation for love and romance and well, Draco and Hermione just wouldn't be attracted to each other even if Draco does redeem himself because, having been brought up with Pureblood ideals ever since he was young, Draco would not be able to see Hermione in that manner and Hermione isn't at all physically attracted to him. Ron, however, is an entirely different matter. But that's my opinion, not a fact.**

**Well, enough of me talking. Let's just get on to the next chapter, shall we?**

**P.S Apologies for the grammar mistakes but I had to rush this one!**

**CHAPTER 2: THE SIXTH YEAR**

…**.**

**1991**

"_Master Weasley, Lady Malfoy wishes to speak to you."_

_Ron exchanged a look of puzzlement with Draco, who merely shrugged his shoulders. _

"_She probably wants to ask you something about Hogwarts, mate," Draco said dismissively as he turned his attention to their books, chocolates, and items that he and Draco had purchased together with Aunt Narcissa at Diagon Alley earlier in the day. Ron nodded his head before staring longingly at the items laid out neatly on Draco's bed._

"_Just go and see her!" Draco laughed as he admired his new set of Exploding Snap cards. "Go and see her and then come back. I want to totally kick your arse in this game!"_

"_Fat chance!" Ron cried as he flipped Draco off. Avoiding a pillow to his head, Ron left the room and walked down the hallway towards Aunt Narcissa's study. Knocking the door three times before announcing himself, Ron entered the room, surprised to see it almost empty, with nothing other than an L-shaped couch, a fireplace and a desk that his Aunt was seated behind._

"_I'm having the room re-furnished." Aunt Narcissa spoke without looking up from her desk. Ron could see her scribbling down something with a quill. Taking a seat on the couch, Ron waited patiently for Aunt Narcissa to finish. One of the things he learnt about being a Malfoy was that a Malfoy should learn to be patient and know their place. His Uncle Lucius was king of this Manor which made his aunt queen by default. As soon as Narcissa finished writing, she looked up at Ron. Her blonde hair was neatly tied up in a bun and Ron always felt a connection to Narcissa, even more so than his adopted mother. The reason for that was quite superficial; Aunt Narcissa had the same blue eyes as Ron did._

_Narcissa gave Ron a warm smile as she stood from her desk before walking over to the couch. Recalling his manners, Ron stood to his feet and shook his aunt's hand before waiting for her to take a seat across from him._

"_I suppose you're wondering why I called for you," Narcissa spoke in her usual, smoothing, motherly voice._

"_To be honest, Aunt, I have no clue," Ron said as Narcissa nodded before folding her arms._

"_Well," Aunt Narcissa spoke as she narrowed those steely blue eyes towards him. "Apparently, according to Dobby, that last evening, he said he saw you sleeping in the den at between the hours of four to six and that you were sound asleep. So tell me, did you happen to wake up in the middle of your nap, break my vase and then go back to sleep?"_

_Ron swallowed a gulp as he worked hard not to drop his gaze. Averting one's eyes was often an admission of guilt or a lie, something Ron had picked up during Uncle Lucius's games of Wizard Poker. Yesterday, Uncle Lucius had called Draco into his office. Apparently, Draco had accidentally broken the Vase of the Wailing Woman, a priceless magical artefact that Lucius had kept inside his study along with an Ancient Black Quill and some battered, old books. Knowing his uncle's propensity to completely fly off the handle, Ron had stepped in to take the blame._

"_Yes. I don't know what that miserable creature was telling you but I wasn't fast asleep. Just resting my head before I met Draco and we snuck in and I broke the vase."_

"_Oh!" Aunt Narcissa smiled as she raised her wand. "So Dobby was mistaken?"_

"_Yes, absolutely!" Ron said hastily, wanting the interrogation to be over._

"_So I should punish him, no?"_

"_Yes…wait...No!" Ron called out in surprise. He hadn't expected that move from his aunt. Usually, Aunt Narcissa couldn't be bothered with disciplining the house-elves; she thought herself above such matters._

"_Well, which is it?" Aunt Narcissa said as she raised her eyebrow. "Either Dobby is mistaken which means that he should be punished or Draco has been lying to Lucius, to which I must inform him."_

"_Can't we just let Dobby off? It was probably a genuine mistake." Ron said awkwardly, not knowing which side to pick. Though his mind was adamant in keeping to his original lie and stick with Draco, somehow the thought of punishment given to Dobby who told the truth seemed rather…unfair to him._

_To his confusion, Aunt Narcissa gave a laugh as she strode in front of him to give Ron a huge hug._

"_Ron, you certainly are quite a unique person, aren't you? Firstly, you protect Draco by lying to both Lucius and myself, taking the fall for him and then you refuse to let me punish the house elf even though it would benefit your cause. What am I going to do with you, Ronald Weasley?"_

"_Release me from my chores?" Ron said hopefully._

_Aunt Narcissa gave a laugh as she pulled Ron in for another hug. Though he knew it was bad to think such things, Ron often felt that the hugs he got from Draco's mother were often more motherly and comforting than those from his own adopted mother. He could feel Aunt Narcissa whispering into his left ear while his left shoulder started to get wet._

"_Can I tell you a secret, Ron?"_

"_Yes, Aunt Narcissa?" Ron stammered, his face bemused at what was happening._

"_I don't want Draco to become like your Uncle Lucius. Promise me, Ron. Promise me you'll watch over my son just as you watch over your own sister."_

"_I promise, Aunt Narcissa," Ron said as Narcissa pulled away, her face now in front of Ron as she held him in her arms. "But Uncle Lucius is not that bad. And Draco isn't going to listen to me like how Ginny does…"_

"_Ahhh, Ronald, Draco will listen to you more than he listens to either me or Lucius. You're his family, Ron and trust me, he will tell and show you more of himself than anyone else. But I'm afraid, that Draco, he might have some…issues…when he's in school. And the last thing I want is for Draco to take the same path as my husband." Narcissa spoke as her expression turned slightly dark at the mention of her last words._

"_What kind of issues?"_

"_The kind that a best friend and brother can fix." Aunt Narcissa said as she wiped the tears from her face. "So promise me, okay? That you'll always look out for him?"_

"_Of course, I will," Ron said as Aunt Narcissa beamed at him. "Draco's my brother and I'm a Malfoy, after all."_

_Aunt Narcissa's face fell as Ron realised what he just said. "No…I mean…I'm not a true Malfoy, but I can…"_

"_Ron." Aunt Narcissa spoke, her face brightening up as she took a look outside. "Would you like to accompany me for a walk?"_

…

_**1996**_

For the umpteenth time that night, Ron Weasley tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get his brain to fall asleep. His conversation with Draco was still fresh in his mind as Ron sat up on his four-poster bed. Wrenching the curtains open, Ron could see that Draco's were closed but a dim light, from Draco's wand no doubt, told him that the wizard was still very much awake. Ron had half a mind to get up, walk over and confront his best friend but just like all the times he wanted to do it over the course of the night, Ron stopped himself at the last second. It wasn't entirely Draco's fault, him being put into this position. Ron heaved a sigh as he dropped his head back onto his pillow, his mind wandering back again to the discussion in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express.

**Several hours ago**

"Hey!"

The door to the compartment flew open as Blaise Zabini walked in. Draco had pulled his arm back just in time as Ron gave a start.

"What do you want, Zabini?" Draco asked as both he and Ron glared at the wizard.

"Just wondering where the two of you have gone to?" Blaise said.

"Just leave us the fuck alone!" Ron snapped as he glared at the wizard. Blaise glowered for a moment, before giving both occupants a sneer.

"Whatever. I'm off anyways."

"Where are you heading to?"

"Got a party with Professor Slughorn down the train. Special invitation." Blaise said as Draco gave a scoff. "Shame the two of you weren't invited. Guess he only wants the elites." Blaise spoke icily before turning around and leaving the two behind.

"Half-blood prick," Draco muttered before turning to Ron who had narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

"Don't give me what!" Ron said, raising his voice slightly. "You're a bloody Death Eater!"

"Yeah, so?"

"So?!" Ron cried incredulously. "What the hell, Draco?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? You already know about our family, Ron."

Ron noted Draco's use of the term _our_ and gave a shudder. Though he knew of the Malfoys' past, even having met Aunt Bella when she sought a temporary home at the Manor last summer, Ron had always tried to distance himself from it. Aunt Narcissa, as well as his mother, had both done their best to placate Ron's fears, telling him stories of how the Death Eaters were a revolutionary group and no revolution ever took place without bloodshed yet his brief encounter with Bellatrix Lestrange still left Ron feeling uneasy. There was another reason for Ron to feel uneasy, having recalled his promise to Aunt Narcissa years ago just before he entered Hogwarts.

"Look Draco," Ron said gently, having to compose his emotions. "I do know what our family does and all that but I would never have thought you would be a Death Eater, considering what happened to your father."

"Father's the reason I'm in this, Ron," Draco replied, his voiced laced with sadness. Throughout their discussion, Ron had been noticing cracks in his otherwise confident demeanour. The façade would be good enough to fool Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Blaise but for Ron, he knew Draco was wrestling with some demons inside. Trying another tactic, Ron spoke again.

"Aren't you a bit young to become a Death Eater?" Ron asked as Draco shook his head.

"Uncle Regulus became one when he was only sixteen. Same age as us."

"So the Dark Lord just decided you were worthy, did he? No questions asked? Just decide to appoint you?"

"No, of course not!" Draco snapped as he glared at Ron. "Becoming a Death Eater doesn't come with a price."

"So what's the price?" Ron scowled as he glared back. "Don't tell me. The Dark Lord asked you for something in return."

At the sound of Ron's words, Draco looked thunderstruck. He collapsed onto his seat, his head hitting the window as Draco stared outside with a blank expression on his face.

"Draco?" Ron asked with concern as he stared at the wizard. "Draco! Say something!"

"My father is in Azkaban, Ron," Draco said, surprising Ron as the redhead wizard sat across from him. "They have my father in Azkaban."

"Draco, I'm sorry about Uncle Lucius." Ron sighed as he recalled reading the papers of Lucius Malfoy's arrest at the Ministry

"Do you know what happened?" Draco said as he turned to look at Ron. "What happened at the Ministry?"

Ron shook his head in response. He had tried, of course, to pry the story from Ginny but his sister had remained tight-lipped. In the end, Ron decided to just let it go, thankful that his sister remained unharmed.

"My dad was sent on a task by the Dark Lord." Draco trembled a little as he said those words. "Apparently, my dad was supposed to collect a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries and together with my aunt Bellatrix as well as the other Death Eaters, they had laid out a trap for Potter and his friends."

"Wait, hold on!" Ron said, aghast at what he was hearing. "Your dad set a trap for Potter? Why couldn't he just take the prophecy himself?"

"Prophecies can only be retrieved by whom the prophecy is about," Draco replied. "I don't know much about the details but I do know that Potter had to be the one to take it. Luckily for Potter, the Order of the Phoenix, you know that group I told you about last year, and Dumbledore managed to rescue him and his friends. But my dad and all the other Death Eaters, except Aunt Bella, were caught and sent to Azkaban."

Ron gripped the side of his head as he stared at Draco. On one hand, he was awfully glad that Dumbledore had stepped in, considering his sister had been part of Potter's group. Yet, Uncle Lucius was in Azkaban.

"So what does this have to do with you becoming a Death Eater?" Ron asked.

Draco gave Ron a bittersweet smile. "In many ways, I always thought I would be one of them someday. But not under these circumstances, of course. My father, I think, prefers Azkaban to the wrath of the Dark Lord. And He is angry, Ron, very angry. He made me a Death Eater because of my father."

"Wait, so He Who Must Not Be Named is punishing you for Uncle's failures?" Ron said as Draco nodded.

"Aunt Bella doesn't see it that way, of course." Draco sighed. "But Mother does. And if I'm being honest, so am I although I have to admit getting to be a Death Eater is an incredible honour for me. That's why I want you to have the prefect's badge, Ron. I can't be distracted by anything happening at Hogwarts once more. You're right, Ron. Becoming a Death Eater isn't a gift, it's a rite of passage. And the Dark Lord has given me a task to do."

"What task?" Ron asked cautiously.

"I can't tell you," Draco said sadly as he looked away. "But it's not easy. It's something no wizard has ever succeeded in doing. All I can tell you is that the task would be done at Hogwarts and let's just say that if I were to complete the task, it would have profound consequences."

"What kind of consequences?" Ron asked as Draco stared at him, his head tilted to one side.

"I can't say," Draco spoke after a momentary pause.

"If this task is so difficult, why would the Dark Lord assign it to you?!" Ron said bitterly as Draco raised his eyebrow at his cousin. It took only a moment for it to dawn on Ron.

"Because you're not supposed to succeed!" Ron gasped as the realisation started to set in. "You-know-Who gave you this task because He knows that you would most likely fail. And when you fail, he would…this isn't a rite of passage or a gift…this is a punishment!"

"For Father's failures." Draco sighed before forcing a smile back on his face. "But I can't think that way. All summer, I've been devising a plan to get the task done but I will need your help, Ron."

"My help? But you said you couldn't tell me about the task!"

"But I will still require your help, mate!"

"What's the task?" Ron demanded once more as Draco shook his head immediately.

"I can't say."

"Draco!" Ron insisted as his nostrils began to flare.

"No, Ron!" Draco snapped as he shook his head. "Look, if I tell you about the task, it'll just make things worse. The only reason I'm telling you and not anyone else is because I'm going to need your help alright. Like to cover me when I skip classes or when I don't turn up for training or…"

"Don't turn up for training?!" Ron repeated in anger. Throughout the entire summer, both he and Draco had spent most of it discussing tactics, especially how to throw Potter off his game. "How the fuck am I supposed to talk to Urquhart? Are you even going to show up for Quidditch?!"

"For Quidditch?!" Draco repeated incredulously as he glared back at Ron. "I'm a Death Eater now, Ron! I don't give two fucks about Quidditch, or Prefect Duties or anything even remotely Hogwarts-related! What do you think is happening now, you prat?! You think you're going to just finish school, graduate and go end up in some cushy Ministry position?! The Dark Lord is back and newsflash, our family is not on the side of the Aurors, in case you didn't know that!"

"Course I know that!" Ron cried as he clenched his fists. "And I'm all for it but I don't understand why you can't just tell me what the task is? If it's something that ends with you or Aunt Narcissa or Mother getting hurt, I want to be part of it!"

"No, you don't!" Draco said as he grabbed Ron's shoulders. Ron could see on Draco's face that his eyes were beginning to water. "Listen, mate. If there was any way I could tell you about it, I would. But the Dark Lord has forbidden me or anyone else to speak of it and if anything were to happen to you, like if they were to question you under Veritaserum, you can at least tell them you know nothing about it. You have to trust me, Ron. Please. I'm begging you. He has Aunt Morgana and my mother with him. You're all I have now."

Ron turned away from at his cousin, the sight of Draco making him more worried by the second. Gone was the smug, confident façade, now being replaced by a desperate and tired look as Draco trembled all over. At the back of his mind, Ron could hear the words of Aunt Narcissa, the promise he made to her all those years ago. After a long period and with a growl of frustration, Ron turned to face Draco.

"If I do help you in…_supporting_ you for this task, there's just one thing I need to know."

"I can't tell you about the task," Draco said as Ron shook his head.

"You said there would be consequences if you succeed. Profound consequences." Ron quoted. "Can you at least tell me something about it?"

Draco bit his lip, his head considering Ron's request. "If I do succeed, then the wizarding world will be changed forever."

"How? What kind of change?"

"The kind that starts a war," Draco replied in resignation as Ron's eyes widened considerably.

"You want my help in starting a war?!"

"No, Ron," Draco replied as he placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. " Of course I don't want you to help me start a war. Merlin, I don't even want to be part of a war! But if I don't succeed in my task, the Dark Lord is going to kill everyone I love! I want…no…_I need_… your help in saving our family. If I fail, the Dark Lord will not only kill me but my parents and anyone related to me. Which includes you…as well as Ginny."

Ron stared at Draco in disbelief. Yet the more he stared at his cousin's face, the plainer the truth was in his eyes. Ron's worst fears would indeed be a possibility, considering that this was Lord Voldemort they were talking about. Perhaps for anyone else, the choice might have posed an issue but not for Ron. This wasn't a movie where the hero faces a moral dilemma in deciding between the world and his family. This was real life and for Ron, as dark as it may seem, the choice was simple. Family always came first and there was nothing, _absolutely nothing_, Ron wouldn't do to save his family.

"Okay, I'll help." Ron sighed as he extended his hand out to Draco. Draco looked temporarily stunned as he stared at the gesture before a large smirk broke onto his face and he pulled Ron into a hug.

"Geroff me!" Ron complained as Draco laughed while trying to squeeze the life out of his cousin. It was strange, having such a comical moment in times of crisis but then again, that was the relationship between the two. No matter what, Draco and Ron could always put a positive spin on things or find humour even in the darkest of situations.

"Let's just go back to our compartment, alright. Pansy's probably worried sick." Ron said as he placed an arm around Draco's shoulders. As they walked back in silence towards their compartment, Draco gave a sudden laugh.

"What?" Ron said as Draco shook his head slightly.

"You remember when we were kids? How we talked about changing the world and all that? I wanted to be Minister For Magic and you were going to be my Head at the Auror Office. Remember the games we used to play?"

"Yeah, those were some good times." Ron chuckled as Draco reached for the door. Turning around, Draco gave Ron a sad smile.

"I missed those times, Ron. When things were easier. When we're just kids." Draco said before entering and immediately being embraced by Pansy's arms. As Ron entered to see Tracey Davis running towards him to do the same, he watched as Draco pushed himself off Pansy before taking a seat next to Crabbe.

"We're still are." Ron muttered before Tracey threw herself into his arms.

….

Over the course of his first week at Hogwarts, Ron had shifted back into the worst parts of himself. Draco's task weighed heavily on his head and for the most part, Ron did his best to ignore it, particularly when he couldn't do anything to help Draco. Yet that didn't stop him from turning into an easily agitated monster or as Tracey put it bluntly when she and Ron got into another shouting match, an arsehole.

To Draco's credit, he defended Ron's actions as being upset over his uncle's imprisonment. It helped that Ron, for most of it, took out most of his anger on the other houses with a bunch of second-year Hufflepuffs crying as Ron yelled at them down a corridor being the pinnacle of his expression of anger. Almost inevitably, Ron had come up against those who tried to stand against him, particularly the Golden Trio, his sister Ginny and Professor McGonagall. The first two didn't bother Ron as much as he could handle criticism from Potter, Longbottom, Granger and his sister but unfortunately, eliciting the ire of Professor McGonagall landed him into detention which was had been, for some reason, changed to a meeting with the Headmaster instead.

Thus, Ron found himself being seated in front of Dumbledore as well as Professor Snape. Ron avoided the intimidating glare of Professor Snape, who despite showing favouritism to his students over and over again, was also very strict on his views of his students' conduct, particularly when they gave him no room to leverage on.

"Well, Weasley, what do you have to say for yourself?" Snape asked curtly as he narrowed his eyes at Ron. For a moment, Ron glanced at Snape's sleeves before staring back at Dumbledore. He wondered if Snape knew about Draco being a Death Eater? He had known of Snape's true identity as a Death Eater for a while as well as the news, according to Draco, about some agreement between Aunt Narcissa and Snape about watching over Draco.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Snape said, clearly growing impatient with Ron's silence.

"No, Sir," Ron said hastily as he composed himself. "I apologise for what I said to Justin Finch-Fletchey and Colin Creevey but it was not unwarranted."

"No?" Dumbledore spoke at least as he continued to stare unnervingly long at Ron.

"It wasn't," Ron replied defensively. "Both of them were making remarks about my Uncle and we had a disagreement, that's all."

"According to witnesses, you intended to use the Stupefy spell on them before Professor McGonagall caught you," Dumbledore replied.

"I wasn't using the Stupefy spell, Headmaster," Ron said, carefully recalling his rehearsed words in his head. "I was simply calling both students _stupid_ before Professor McGonagall interrupted me. It's not my fault that she misheard and assumed the worst for me, given who I am."

"Mister Weasley," Dumbledore spoke gently. "I highly doubt that Professor McGonagall would accuse you of something so serious just because you are a Slytherin."

"Not a Slytherin, Sir!" Ron spoke before Snape could chime in. "It's because I'm a Malfoy."

Both Dumbledore and Snape gave looks of surprise before exchanging a look with one another. At the nod of Dumbledore's head, the latter simply stood stiff before exiting the office, leaving Dumbledore alone with Ron.

"Ronald, may I call you Ronald?" Dumbledore asked as he stood up.

"Of course, Sir. Ron is also okay."

"Good, very good!" Dumbledore said with a smile as he reached under his desk to pull out two cups and a teapot. As he did so, Ron could see that one of his hands looked to be a frightful state, blackened and dark, as if someone had burnt it many times over.

"Sir?" Ron said as he pointed to the hand. Dumbledore stared at his hand before giving a chuckle.

"Oh, how my mind wanders. Ronald, if you would be so kind, there is a large bowl with a potion on that cabinet behind you. Would you mind bringing it over to me?"

Ron nodded his head as he walked to the cabinet where a large, crystal bowl laid on top. Inside, Ron could see a large, silvery liquid floating about two thirds from the brim. Bringing it over to their table, Dumbledore thanked Ron before placing his hand into the bowl. Dumbledore then reached into his desk to pull out a strange jar. The jar was large and transparent but what made it strange was the thing within the jar itself. Inside, floating about the jar was a creature that Ron had only seen during a visit to a fair in Paris, together with Draco.

"Sir, is that a…jellyfish?" Ron said warily as he eyed the translucent tentacles of the creature floating about.

"Very perceptive, Ronald," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Now, I pray you don't mind but the next part of this procedure is very important and I must do so with the utmost concentration." Ron watched in fascination as Dumbledore removed a small bottle from his robes and poured the transparent liquid into the bowl which glowed a bright gold at the mixture of both liquids. Dumbledore then carefully unscrewed the jar before throwing the jellyfish inside. Before Ron could say anything, Dumbledore raised his wand at the bowl and whispered a charm causing the jellyfish, which had gripped Dumbledore's blackened hand at the moment it entered to start bobbing up and down furiously before a bright, golden light blinded Ron momentarily. When sight returned to his eyes, Ron was shocked to see that the jellyfish was gone, the bowl containing only the silvery liquid with Dumbledore's hand still blackened as it was.

"Headmaster, what was that?!" Ron asked. Dumbledore only gave Ron a smile as with a wave of his wand, the bowl floated back to its place on the cabinet as Dumbledore poured two cups of tea, handing one over to Ron, who thanked him.

"Tell me, Ronald, have you ever heard of Turritopsis dohrnii?"

"Turry top what?" Ron replied, fumbling at the words as Dumbledore gave another chuckle.

"I swear, the Muggles can come up with some unusual names for the creatures we find on this earth. Turritopsis dohrnii or Meduzas, as what my good friend Newt Scamander has classified them, are a type of jellyfish with a very interesting feature. Apparently, when it is wounded, sick or old, the jellyfish can revert its entire body into a younger version of itself, making it seem immortal. Think about it, Ronald. Both Muggle and wizard have spent years in trying to attain immortality only to be beaten by a jellyfish." Dumbledore said with a laugh.

"Wicked!" Ron replied excitedly as he recalled the creature just moments before. "But where has it gone? And what were you using it for?"

"Well, the truth is, Ronald," Dumbledore said as he raised his hand. "I am the unfortunate victim of a very Powerful Dark Curse and Professor Snape has helped me to contain it for the time being but I fear the curse would spread faster than one would expect. I have resorted to such desperate measures to keep the use of my hand. Unfortunately, the poor jellyfish had to be used for this very purpose but I can say, given its unusually long lifespan, death may indeed be a welcome adventure."

"So this potion thingy cures it?" Ron said as he continued to stare at the hand.

"In a matter of speaking. The potion merely allows the blood and other parts of my hand to revert itself back in time to an earlier state although this is a very Powerful Curse and as such, my hand will never fully heal. I've sacrificed the liquid of a time-turner to ensure its success but as to whether I will unduly be affected, only time can tell."

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered before giving Dumbledore a sheepish look. "Apologies for swearing, Headmaster."

"Think nothing of it," Dumbledore said as his blue eyes started to twinkle. "Ronald, you are the only other person who knows about this potion. I was planning to do it later tonight but this seemed like a good a time as any. Please do me a favour and keep this secret of mine between us."

"No problem, Headmaster," Ron said. "I hope the potion does work."

"I hope so too." Dumbledore sighed. "The nature of the potion is a little complex, to say the least when I first read about it and tried to improvise it further. As it draws upon my essence, creating the potion did lead to a few snags, particularly with regards to a certain element that I'm lacking but it does seem that I'm getting closer to the mark each day."

"That's good," Ron said as he leaned against his chair. Reaching for the cup of tea, Ron raised the cup to his lips. Before he could drink it, however, Ron spied something on the desk with his name written at the top.

"Sir, what's that?" Ron said as he pointed to the piece of parchment that had been lodged between two books. Dumbledore stared at the parchment before taking it off the desk, removing it from sight.

"Let us forget that at the moment. Now, Ronald, the reason you're here right now and not serving detention with Professor McGonagall is that I've chosen to take over. And I want to offer you a choice, Ron. You may listen to what I have to say and the detention and issue will be forgotten or you may choose not to and proceed with the detention that Professor McGonagall has arranged for you. So what will it be, Ronald?"

Ron stared blankly at Dumbledore as he considered his options. For one thing, the sight of the parchment had made him uneasy but the thought of having to clean out trophies with nothing but a brush and no magic was not one Ron wanted to pick.

"As long as we're just having a conversation, Sir, I rather stay."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore cried as he clapped his hands. "Now on to business. Would you like to sip your tea first, Ronald?"

"With all due respect, Headmaster, I rather know what's going on," Ron replied as Dumbledore nodded.

"Well, Ronald, as you know, you've missed this year's meeting with your family. Your mother, Morgana, wrote me a letter telling me that she had not given permission for you to go, citing illness on your part and that you were confined to your summer home."

Ron let out a groan. The annual Weasley meeting was one which took place each year during the summer months ever since Bill first entered Hogwarts. It was, by all accounts, a compulsory meeting put forth by Dumbledore and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement that the Weasleys must be allowed to mingle in order to forge their familial ties. Ron had not looked forward to each much, with exception of his meetings with Ginny, and Percy had excused himself from going for such meetings due to his coming of age as well as his Ministry position. For Ron, the meetings were often a time for one to hurl insults at each other and the mediator that the Ministry had brought in was nothing more than a figurehead.

"Yes, I was sick. Besides, I don't see why I have to do such meetings anymore." Ron grumbled. "Ginny is still here in Hogwarts with me and she's all I care about. Once I come of age, I'm going to ask for exclusion as well."

"What about emancipation, Ronald?" Dumbledore asked grimly.

"Emancipation?"

"The process in which one chooses to free himself from the control of a group, in this case, the Weasleys. I hope that you wouldn't resort to such drastic measures?"

"No, of course not," Ron replied hastily although he felt a little guilty lying to Dumbledore. He had thought of it, of course, especially with his mother speaking to Ron nearly every summer about invoking such a cause and yet, despite his desire to do so, he would refuse in the end simply because of Ginny. Ron couldn't even begin to imagine Ginny's reaction to something like that.

"Good, Ron," Dumbledore said as he smiled at him before heaving a sigh. "Unfortunately, there is something that I will need to talk to you about but first, I want to know, how are you doing?"

"How am I doing?"

"Tell me, are you suffering from any issues? Any stress? Anything that you might want to talk about?"

"No, Sir," Ron replied hastily once more, pushing Draco Malfoy from his thoughts. "I'm just stressed about normal, sixth-year issues," Ron said as he eyed the door, desperate to get out of this meeting as soon as possible.

"You mean, like relationships? Perhaps with a young, Slytherin girl in your year?" Dumbledore said with a smile as Ron's eyes widened considerably.

"Errr… Tracey and I are just friends!" Ron replied, his face flushed red as Dumbledore chuckled at the sight.

"Forgive me, Ronald, it's not in my position to pry and embarrass you in such a way. I just want to know if you are holding up well. Considering your behaviour this first week in school, I had to be sure."

"Believe me, Professor." Ron croaked as he tried to compose himself. "I'm okay. I just need time to adjust."

"Very well, Ronald! Very well. Shall we drink?" Dumbledore said as he raised his cup.

"Headmaster," Ron said with a gulp. "What is parchment with my name on it about?"

Dumbledore heaved a sigh before reaching down and placing the parchment on his desk. Ron stared at the parchment as he started to read. As he processed each statement, Ron could feel his unpredictable anger rising to the surface once more.

"What is this?" Ron snarled, forgetting whom he was speaking to. "What's all this about?!"

"Ronald," Dumbledore replied gently as he gave the wizard an apologetic look. "Believe me, I had my reservations about showing you this parchment myself. Believe me when I say, your brothers William and Charlie had your best interests at heart when they made this."

"They want me to leave the Malfoys?!" Ron cried, his voice rising louder. "Why?!"

"Considering that Lucius is behind bars for being a Death Eater, and with connections to your family, your brothers have come up with quite a large amount of evidence to show that your guardians are unfit to take care of you. Rufus, however, has left that decision to me."

"Unfit?!" Ron growled as he stood up, his hands balled into fists. "Those two prats have no idea what they're talking about! The Malfoys have been nothing but kind to me and those two bloody idiots wouldn't know a thing about it! Just because Uncle Lucius was accused of something –"

"There were witnesses, Ronald."

"ACCUSED of something!" Ron barked. "It doesn't make my mother or Aunt Narcissa unfit to raise me! How dare they?! Just because they have a thing against Slytherins doesn't make it okay to just ship me off whenever they feel like it! This is my life and the Malfoys ARE MY FAMILY!"

"Ronald, please calm yourself down," Dumbledore spoke gently as he stood up as well. "I've already refused to allow anyone to take you away from the Malfoys."

"What?" Ron said, his anger forgotten for a moment, as he looked back at Dumbledore in confusion. Albus walked around his desk before placing a hand on Ron's shoulder to placate them.

"Ron, you've already made it clear to both myself and Professor Snape that you want to stay with the Malfoys and frankly, removing you from one family is too much pain for me to bear."

"You should know." Ron cried bitterly as he jerked his shoulder away. "It's your fault, after all."

Dumbledore said nothing as his eyes no longer twinkled, instead, they fell with a poignant look behind them. Dumbledore's silence gave Ron the courage he needed as he took two steps away from the Headmaster.

"Aunt Narcissa told me the truth, Headmaster. Everything. I know how they died. How they _really_ died."

"That was not for her to say," Dumbledore whispered as Ron shook his head.

"No, it was for you to tell me. You owe it to me! Because of you, I had to live apart from my sister for years! Because of you, I lost my parents. Everything, everything that has happened to me, everything bad and all those times I felt angry and upset and lost were all because of you!" Ron spat. He could feel his face getting wet but Ron ignored it. The thought of Draco reared its ugly head once more as Ron slammed his fist onto Dumbledore's desk. Strangely, Dumbledore said nothing as he continued to stare sadly at the young wizard.

"Why did they have to die? Why couldn't you have done something?" Ron cried. "Why didn't ANYONE TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH?! Why?!"

"Ron, please –"

"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU!" Ron roared as he glared back at Dumbledore with as much contempt and anger as he could muster. Dumbledore said nothing as he dropped his head, instead choosing to walk back towards his chair to take a seat. After a while, Ron felt his anger starting to disappear, only to be replaced by a feeling of pure emptiness. Taking his numb state back to his chair, Ron collapsed onto his seat as Dumbledore offered Ron a handkerchief to which Ron gratefully accepted.

"I'm sorry…"Ron whispered, though in his heart the words were as meaningless as his anger had been. Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, I deserved that. I do." Dumbledore said as he raised his blackened hand. "I'm not perfect, Ronald and I have made many mistakes, some of which I have paid much for and will continue to pay for it. Ron, listen to me…" Dumbledore said as he leaned in, trying to get Ron to look at him. Dumbledore reached out his hand, only for Ron to flinch away slightly. Saddened, Dumbledore retreated back into his seat.

"Ronald, believe me, if I could give my life up to save your family, I would. Alas, no one is above making mistakes, least of all someone like me. I know you do not believe me, but I was preparing myself to tell you, all of your brothers and sisters, once Ginny came of age. I wanted you to be prepared but I guess, the truth always has its own way of coming out. I've made mistakes, Ron, and believe me, I am paying dearly for it." Dumbledore said as he raised his blackened hand.

"Is that why you told me about the potion?" Ron scoffed. "You want me to feel sorry for you?"

"No, Ronald." Dumbledore sighed. "I wanted to tell you about the potion and show you my hand because I wanted you to understand that even the best of us can make stupid mistakes. Mistakes that cost me even my own life as you've seen by my hand. But I learn from my mistakes, Ronald and far be it for me to judge others, I will always, always have your best interests at heart."

Dumbledore pushed Ron's cup of tea towards him.

"So if there's anything that's ever bothering you, anything you want to talk about, anything you want to ask, I'm always going to be here to help and listen," Dumbledore said with a smile as Ron took the cup. His brain urged him to think about other things as his thoughts travelled back to Draco and his predicament. _Surely, Dumbledore could help? _ Ron thought as he placed the cup on his lips. Though he didn't trust the wizard, Dumbledore was, by his reasoning, someone who owed him a favour. _I could ever swear him to secrecy_ Ron thought as he poised himself to tell Dumbledore the truth about Malfoy.

Before he could speak, however, Ron felt warm tea enter his mouth. Suddenly, Ron felt himself shaking as he dropped the cup. Before the darkness took him, the last image Ron Weasley saw was that of Dumbledore looking alarmed at the state of him.

…..

"Wake up, you lazy oaf!"

Ron blinked his eyes open as a tired groan escaped his lips. As his eyes adjusted themselves, Ron could see Draco Malfoy smiling at him. Behind him, he could see the usual confused looks of Crabbe and Goyle while behind them, a disinterested Blaise played around with curtains surrounding his bed as Ron realised he was lying on a bed inside the hospital wing. Before he could say anything, however, Ron felt his body being crushed by a figure next to him

"Oh, Ron!" Tracey cried out as she nearly suffocated him with the strength of her hug. "I thought you were a goner!" Tracey spoke as behind her, a giggling Daphne and Pansy were unable to contain their laughter.

"Miss Davis, if you were to be so kind as to remove yourself off Mr. Weasley, I think he would rather much appreciate it."

Ron turned to see a disapproving Snape staring at the group.

"Leave us, all of you," Snape said. With a smile from Draco and Tracey reluctantly letting her arms off from Ron, the group dispersed from the bed behind the curtains. Ron locked his eyes with Snape, who stared at him curiously for a moment, before turning his heels and walking away as well. As soon as he disappeared, the curtains parted again and in walked Albus Dumbledore.

"Headmaster?" Ron croaked as Dumbledore gave him a smile. "What happened to me?"

"I'm glad to see that you're okay, Ronald," Dumbledore said, ignoring Ron's question. With a wave of his wand, Ron recognised Dumbledore placing a Silencing Charm on the curtains.

"You had a reaction, I'm afraid to the tea."

"The tea?!" Ron repeated as he stared at Dumbledore. For one crazy moment, Ron wondered if the Headmaster had intentionally tried to poison him. Seeing the look on Ron's face, Dumbledore gave a chuckle as he shook his head.

"No, Ronald, I did not add anything to the tea," Dumbledore spoke. "It seemed that during my potion and spell for my hand, some of the potion seemed to have flown into your cup, no doubt from the jellyfish moving about so. An unfortunate accident though one, thankfully, without any issues. Madam Pomfrey and I have checked you over and other than a need for a night's rest, you are perfectly fine."

"That's good to hear." Ron groaned as he lifted his head off the pillow. "So I'm okay, really okay?"

"Nothing a good night's sleep couldn't cure," Dumbledore said.

"Good, that's good," Ron replied. His mind travelled back to his incident at Dumbledore's office. Staring into Dumbledore's twinkling eyes, Ron felt a temporary wave of guilt rush over him. He wanted to apologise, say he was sorry about what he had said. But then the anger came back in and Ron found himself wanting to be as far away from Dumbledore as possible.

"Ronald," Dumbledore spoke as Ron turned to face him, his head reasoning that the sooner he entertained the old man, the sooner he could be rid of him.

"How long?"

"Sorry?"

"How long have you known?"

Ron stared at Dumbledore as he heaved a sigh before he replied. "Just before I came into Hogwarts."

"Six years?!" Dumbledore cried, astonished at what he was hearing. He had assumed that Narcissa spoke to Ron recently, the rise of the Dark Lord having allowed her to speak her mind and yet, it seemed that Ronald Weasley had surprised him once more. Dumbledore felt a lump in his throat. To hold on to something as horrible as that, for six years, Dumbledore shuddered at the thought. _This explains his behaviour_ Dumbledore thought as he looked down upon the wizard with pity.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Dumbledore stared at the redhead who had just asked him the question that he dreaded asking. Composing himself, Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"I made an emotional decision that day, Ronald. Arthur and Molly, besides being dear friends to me, were also important people in the fight against the Dark Arts. I feared that by revealing the truth, it would have impacted negatively on the pair. Your parents died as heroes."

"No, they didn't," Ron said softly as he closed his eyes.

"Yes, they did, Ronald. And I was also concerned that by revealing the truth, that others would take advantage of it and try to influence all of you, especially you and Percival. The other Pureblood families would have done so and so I did what I did to protect you. Sometimes, it's better to believe a beautiful fantasy than to be scarred by the truth."

Ron held an incredulous expression as he stared back at Dumbledore. "So what you're saying is that…you lied to protect me?" Ron said as Dumbledore sighed.

"I know how it must sound but –"

"It's okay, Headmaster," Ron said, cutting in. "I rather not hear anymore of it."

"Ronald…"

"I need to rest, Sir."

"Of course," Dumbledore spoke in resignation as he reached for the curtains. A thought occurred to him as Dumbledore turned.

"No one knows but me and Aunt Narcissa. Not my siblings, not even Draco." Ron said, seemingly having read Dumbledore's mind. A look into his eyes told Dumbledore that Ron was telling the truth

"I'm sorry, Ronald," Dumbledore whispered as he walked away from Ron's bed. With a heavy heart, Dumbledore entered into his office. He walked towards a set of drawers and with a wave of his wand, the last drawer slid out open as Dumbledore stared at its contents. With a tear on his face, Dumbledore pulled out the photograph of a tall and skinny green-eyed man with red hair and glasses waving frantically next to a short, slightly plump and kindly looking red-haired woman who seemed to be frustrated with her husband's comical antics. As Dumbledore admired the photograph, his eyes caught sight of another item in the drawer, a necklace with a triangle and circle split in the middle. Though he had long distanced himself from his much younger days, it seemed that some habits were hard to break. Dumbledore thought of Ron Weasley as he looked from the photograph to the necklace, four familiar words suddenly coming into his head.

_For the Greater Good._

…..

"Damn Professor McGonagall!" Draco cried as he entered the Slytherin common room, only to be with a bunch of eyes glaring at him. Over in the corner, Ron was slumped on his seat as Urquhart took a step towards Malfoy.

"What the fuck do you lot want?!" Draco said, clearly agitated by the eyes around him. Urquhart gave a grunt and at that moment, most of the Slytherin Quidditch team, as well as all the years around the dungeon common room, decided to go back to doing their own things.

"Where have you been?" Urquhart said icily as Draco glanced at Ron before glaring back at the larger wizard.

"I've been with Professor Snape if that's any of your business. Why, got something on your mind, then?" Draco replied acidly.

"Really?" Urquhart said nastily as the larger and bulkier Slytherin Captain glared down at Draco. "Because I just met up with Professor Snape to inform him of your absences in training. Care to explain where you've been?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Urquhart!" Malfoy replied defiantly although Ron could see that Draco was cowering slightly under the wizard's angry glare. Ron let out a groan of frustration before stepping in.

"I told you already, Urquhart. Professor Snape had Draco to complete his DADA assignment. It's compulsory, after all."

"Stop making excuses for him, Weasley!" Urquhart snapped as he turned his attention back to Draco. "Draco here couldn't be bothered to show up for training again. Do you have any idea what we are up against? It's Slytherin versus Gryffindor in the first match, in case you've forgotten!"

"Of course, I haven't forgotten!" Draco snapped. "What's the big deal? Potter's a pushover and not to mention, Longbottom is a poor excuse for a keeper! You guys have this in the bag!"

"Potter has winning matches for his team single-handedly!" Urquhart retorted, his hands balled into fists. "And Longbottom was their best player last year! He and Ginny Weasley won the Cup and now with Potter back to compete, as much as it pains me to admit, has made that team quite formidable! And you just can't be bothered to show up for training! Do I have to beat some sense into you before you decide to give us some of your _precious_ effort?!"

"Now, wait a moment!" Ron said before feeling a painful strike to the side of his head. In front of him, Urquhart and Draco both looked shocked at the sight of Ron on the floor in between the pair of them.

"Ron!" Draco cried as he laid next to his cousin, before turning up to glare daggers at Urquhart. "How fucking dare you?! I'm going to tell…"

"Going to tell who?" Urquhart taunted, his composure restored. "Your father? Go ahead. Write a fucking letter to Azkaban for all I care. But you better show up on Friday for training or go find me a fucking replacement! I've already got Vaisey out and this is the last thing I need to deal with." Draco glared at the bulky wizard as he turned his back on Draco before storming away.

"What the fuck are you lot looking at?!" Draco said to the crowd in the common room. Pulling up a groaning Ron to his feet, Draco dragged Ron back outside onto the corridor.

"Fuck, are you okay, Ron?" Draco asked.

"Geroff me!" Ron yelled as he pushed Draco away. Ron Weasley had had enough. The past few months had taken quite a toll on him as Ron had to devise ways to explain away Draco's absence. Draco had even posted Ron along the corridor of the seventh floor, outside the Room of Requirement to keep on a lookout. Whatever it was that Draco was doing, he wasn't telling Ron and each day had only made Ron moodier and angrier than ever.

"What's the matter with you?" Draco cried indignantly as Ron stared at the wizard incredulously.

"What's the matter with me? _With me? _" Ron barked, incensed at Draco's words. "What about you, mate?! Do you know what I HAD to go through in training just now? Not only did I miss five shots in a row but Urquhart and the others were going at me extra hard just because I covered for you! And what's fucking worse is that I have no BLOODY CLUE as to what you're up to! Just because the Dark Lord made you his goddamn pet project doesn't mean you get a free pass at school, Draco! For Bloody Merlin sake, can you even just show up once in a while? Flint isn't Captain anymore and we have that half-blood oaf in charge of the lot of us!"

"I'm sorry, alright!" Draco replied angrily as he folded his arms. "It's just that…fuck…everything's not going according to plan."

"I should think so!" Ron shouted back. "For fuck's sake, Draco, at least tell me what this has been all about?"

"I can't…" Draco sighed. "Especially not after… what with Katie…and all?"

"Katie?! As in that attack on Katie Bell?! You swore to me you had nothing to do with that!"

Draco didn't say anything, his silence worrying Ron. Not wanting the argument to escalate, Ron gave Draco a weary look as he placed a hand on the wizard.

"Draco, look, mate, I don't know what you're up to and honestly, I'm done trying to convince you. But you need to do something if you're going to stay in Hogwarts. Show up once in a while, mate. At least so that no one asks that many questions."

"I'll try," Draco whispered as Ron gave his cousin a smile.

"Besides, I know what will cheer you up! Beating Potter at Quidditch! Merlin, can you imagine the look on his face when we do that trick with the – "

"I'm quitting the team, Ron," Draco replied sadly, cutting Ron off in mid-sentence. Ron stared at the wizard, his ears not believing what they heard.

"You're what?!"

"Quitting the team. As Urquhart said, I have to find a replacement. I'll bribe Harper, Merlin knows that prat has been wanting to come on the team since forever."

"Harper?!" Ron cried incredulously as he pulled his hand away. "Are you insane?!"

"Quidditch games are a distraction, Ron," Draco explained. "And frankly, with the matches being played, it would give a quiet castle and time alone to do…what needs to be done. I'm sorry, Ron."

"Don't fucking apologize!" Ron yelled, his anger returning. Ron couldn't believe it. After everything he had done, playing Quidditch with Draco was something Ron looked forward to. It had even been a pipe dream of his, both he and Malfoy becoming professional Quidditch players and trying out for the Chudley Cannons.

"I don't even know who you are, anymore." Ron spat. "Where's my cousin and what have you done with him?"

"Ron…"Draco pleaded as he leaned against the stone walls. "Look, just give me more time…Ron, please…I can't do this without you."

"Maybe you should think about that more often." Ron snapped. With his anger showing no signs of going away, Ron felt the side of his cheek where Urquhart had struck him. Although the pain was gone, Ron needed an excuse to be away from Draco, the sight of his cousin only causing his anger to rise.

"I'm going to go to Madam Pomfrey. The last thing I need is to get a concussion on the day of the match." Ron barked as he stormed away before Draco could reply.

As he made his way to the Hospital Wing, Ron found it difficult to get thoughts of Draco out of his head. Whatever it was that the Dark Lord wanted Draco to do, it seemed to be taking more time than necessary. The news of Katie's attack was still on Ron's mind as he recalled overhearing how Potter had been telling Granger and Longbottom of his suspicions on Draco.

_What does Lord Voldemort want with Draco?!_ Ron thought angrily, not paying any attention to where he was going. The only thought that he could come up with was that if Draco was behind the attack on Katie, it would mean that the Dark Lord wanted to show that even Hogwarts wasn't safe. Yet with everything the school had gone through in the past few years, Ron doubted that was the case. Ron thought about Katie Bell. He couldn't recall if Bell was a half-blood or Muggleborn but the thought did strike Ron that from what he had heard on the grapevine, Katie was very lucky to be alive.

_What if the Dark Lord instructed Malfoy to kill someone? What if the Dark Lord was targeting the Mudbloods and other students in the school? _That thought did explain why Draco was acting all shifty about the task. A death of a student would most likely trigger a wave of panic. Already, students were being taken out of Hogwarts and Ron knew that the death of a witch or wizard would most likely be a cause for the school to shut down, just as it nearly was back in his second year. It would explain why Draco didn't care about school anymore.

Ron was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't realise just how far away from the Hospital Wing he had walked. Turning around the corner, Ron was met with a most unpleasant sight. At the staircase near the end of the corridor, Ron could see a couple snogging relentlessly in a corner. Upon a closer look, Ron was shocked to see that the couple were none other than Dean Thomas, his lips fully locked onto a familiar redheaded witch.

_What the fuck is she doing?!_ Ron thought as he made a beeline for the unsuspecting pair. On any other day, Ron would have simply ignored the sight, instead of waiting for Ginny to be free before dragging her into a classroom and berating her for such indiscretions. Today, however, with his anger already at an all-time high, Ron found himself unable to control his emotions as he grabbed the back of Dean's collar and pulling the shocked wizard off his sister.

"OI!" Dean cried before being shoved into the wall with a wand pointed at him.

"Ron!" Ginny shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SISTER, YOU HEAR ME?!" Ron yelled as he jabbed his wand against Dean's chest.

"RON!" Ginny cried, trying to pry Ron's wand-holding hand away.

"What's going on, here?"

Dean, Ron, and Ginny turned to the side to see Harry approaching along with Neville and Hermione. Ron noted how all three had their wands out and yet Ron didn't care. He turned his attention back to Dean whose expression was a mixture of anger and fear.

"Let him go, Ron," Harry said warningly.

"Fuck off, Potter," Ron growled. "This doesn't concern you."

"Oh yes, it does!" Hermione cried sharply. "I'm a Prefect, Ron and it's against the rules to threaten a student at Hogwarts!"

"Oh give it a rest, you Mudblood!" Ron snarled as he pulled his wand away to aim at the Golden Trio.

"Don't call her that!" Neville cried angrily as he aimed his wand at Ron.

"Harry, Neville, put down your wands!" Ginny said as she pulled Dean towards her.

"Ginny, he has his wand aimed at us!"

"Do you really want Professor Snape to give you detention just before the big game?" Ginny snapped as Harry's face turned red before he angrily stashed his wand away with Neville following suit. Ginny turned her attention to Ron, her face contorted in anger.

"You, too."

"No," Ron said as he aimed at the wand towards Dean.

"Ron, you and I are about to have a word and unless you're planning on Hermione reporting you to McGonagall and having you banned for the game, I suggest you put away your wand _this instant_!" Ginny cried. Ron gave Dean a dark look before reluctantly lowering his wand.

"All of you, leave me alone with my brother," Ginny replied grimly as protests broke out among the group.

"Ginny, you can't –"

"He's armed and –"

"I can take care of myself, dear, you don't –"

"GO!" Ginny bellowed. Dean, Harry, Neville, and Hermione exchanged looks before the quartet decided to walk away. Ron could see Hermione pulling Harry away as the latter glared daggers at Ron. The sight of Granger holding Potter's hand struck a chord inside Ron though the wizard couldn't fathom the reason for it. Nonetheless, all such thoughts disappeared as soon as the group left, leaving Ron with a fuming Ginny.

"Now, let's get one thing straight, _dear_ _brother_." Ginny spat as she glared at Ron. "Whom I date and who I go out with is none of your business."

"It is my business because you're my sister! I don't want Thomas to think he can just feel you up whenever he feels like it!"

"Dean doesn't concern you, Ron!" Ginny snapped. "And for your information, I was the one who initiated it, not him!"

"You want to date Thomas?!" Ron cried in disbelief.

"We bonded during our visits to see Finnigan after what happened in the Ministry," Ginny said icily. "He's actually a nice person if you give him the chance."

"Not bloody likely!" Ron roared. "If you think I give that wanker the time of day with my sister, then you –"

"What's your problem with Dean, huh?" Ginny demanded, cutting Ron off. "Why are you so upset that I have a boyfriend? You never had any problems when I went out with Longbottom to the ball? Or when I went out with Michael Corner?"

"Oh, please." Ron cried with a derisive laugh. " You were younger then and let's face it, you and Corner were never going to last. Not to mention, Longbottom was never really into you given how much he's been making it obvious his feelings for Granger. Talk about a waste of a Pureblood, considering Granger is going to end up with Potter…"

"Hermione loves Harry?" Ginny said with a frown, surprising Ron slightly.

"She's into him, that's for sure," Ron said dismissively. "But at your age now, Ginny, people are going to talk and the last thing I want is for a rumour to break out that my sister is some kind of…scarlet woman."

"Scarlet woman?" Ginny giggled for a moment before composing herself with a look of defiance. "Well, if anyone wishes to talk, they can do so. I don't give a fuck what anyone else thinks."

"You should!" Ron insisted as he shook his head. "Don't forget that you're a Weasley, Ginny!"

"I haven't forgotten but it seems that you have forgotten about being my brother!" Ginny hissed. "What kind of brother would attack his sister's boyfriend?"

"One that cares about you and does not want you associating yourself with the likes of him!" Ron retorted as Ginny took a step forward, her eyes glinting dangerously.

"What do you mean, the likes of him? Ron, please, please don't tell me this is because Dean is Muggle-born."

Ron said nothing but his silence might as well been a resounding yes for all that Ginny could care about. Narrowing her eyes at Ron, Ginny stood inches away from her brother, her brown eyes penetrating into him.

"Five years, Ron."

"What –" Ron began to speak before Ginny placed a finger to his lips.

"Five years of me protecting you, trying to defend you." Ginny continued in her soft, angry voice. "Every time someone asks me why I associate myself with you, I tell them that my brother, despite all the insensitive, racial and bigoted remarks, is actually a good man deep in his heart. Tell me, Ron, have I been lying to them? Is this all there is to you?"

"What's with all the philosophical gibberish?!"Ron fired back. "All I'm saying is that I don't want you to date Dean Thomas! Date Michael Corner, date Longbottom, hell date Potter for all I care –"

Ginny's face turned a bright red.

"But don't date Dean! Anyone but Dean!" Ron said with a scowl at the thought of the wizard.

"Because he's Muggleborn, isn't it?" Ginny said as she prodded Ron's chest with her finger. "Don't be a fucking coward! Say it! Say the words!"

"FINE!" Ron yelled, no longer caring about anything else. "IT'S BECAUSE HE'S A FUCKING MUDBLOOD, THAT'S WHY! Does that satisfy you, Ginny? Does that make it all better? If you don't want to listen to me, that's fine! Go ahead then, go back to your House and tell Dean you want to be his girlfriend or better yet, why stop there? Go ahead and shag him for all I care! Then you can grow up to be nothing more than a Mudblood lover making stupid, Mudblood babi -"

SLAP!

Ron staggered upon the impact of Ginny's hand across his cheek. Reaching out to support himself on the stone wall, Ron felt the sharp pain on his cheek which now had a bright red bruise. He stared back in shock at Ginny, who looked to be in shock herself for what she'd done.

"Ginny…" Ron said as Ginny, who was on the verge of tears before, now had them trailing down her cheeks. With a squeak, Ginny turned away from Ron and started to run.

"GINNY!" Ron yelled as he chased after her, his long legs allowing him to catch up.

"Get out of my way," Ginny said as she held an arm to her face to cover her tears while trying to push past Ron.

"Ginny, it's okay. I deserve that. Just talk to me!" Ron pleaded as he continued to block her way.

"Move, Ron! Please just go away!" Ginny cried once more as she tried to walk past him, only to have Ron block her way once more.

"No, not until we've sorted this out," Ron said as he tried to prevent his sister from shoving him away. "Ginny, stop! Talk to me!"

"What's there to talk about?!" Ginny wept as she pushed herself off Ron. "You've clearly chosen the side you're on! It's what you are, isn't it? Just another Muggle-hating Pureblood like the rest of the Slytherins!"

"Ginny, there's something you don't understand…" Ron tried to say as Ginny placed her hands over her ears.

"I don't want to hear it. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Ginny yelled as she glared at Ron. "Do you even realise who you're supporting. Lord Voldemort is back, Ron! How can you even think about standing behind a monster like that? A monster who kills innocent people? How can you justify that?!"

Ron, who had winced upon hearing the Dark Lord's name, could only stare at Ginny, his mouth unable to speak as he thought of how to reply. Taking advantage of his pause, Ginny shoved herself past Ron who tried, to no avail, to grab her hand.

"Ginny, we have to talk about this!" Ron cried as he tried to reach her once more. "Ginny, I don't want us to be angry with each other."

"I'm not angry at you, Ron, _don't you get it_ ?!" Ginny spoke icily as she turned to glare at him. "I'm not angry. I'm _ashamed_. I've always defended you, even at the expense of people insulting and calling me names –"

"Who the fuck dares to –"

"But they were right, Ron!" Ginny snapped as she started to sob once more. "They were right. I can't do this anymore, Ron. I just can't. We should just go our separate ways."

"Our separate ways?!" Ron cried, in aghast. "But you're my sister."

"I don't even know who you are, anymor," Ginny said, her voice calming down to a low whisper that chilled Ron to his core. "Maybe you should just change your name to Malfoy. After all, you are one."

"Ginny, I…" Ron stammered as Ginny walked towards him before planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Ginny whispered before turning around and walking away.

_TELL HER WHAT YOU KNOW! TELL HER THE TRUTH!_ Ron heard his own voice screaming inside his head as he remained rooted to the spot. Ron could feel his lips starting to move, words starting to form…

Yet only a faint croak escaped his lips.

Instead, Ron felt his cheek once more which was getting wetter by the second as he watched one of the two people he loved most in this world walk away from him.

….

**1991**

_If there was one place that Ron loved about staying at Malfoy Manor, it was the garden and forest that surrounded it. In front of the Manor stood four feet tall hedges, scaled into a labyrinth and filled with the most beautiful flora Ron had ever seen. Ron admired the towering oak trees that surrounded the manor as he and Aunt Narcissa took a walk through the forest. Sunlight was still streaming in even though it was fast approaching evening as Ron stared up the green foliage that dominated the landscape above him._

"_Do you have everything ready for tomorrow, Ron?"_

"_Yes, Aunt Narcissa," Ron spoke as he continued to touch the bark of each tree that they passed. Narcissa gave a light laugh at Ron's antics, his behaviour certainly different from Draco's more subdued nature._

"_Look at this place, Ronald." Aunt Narcissa said as she stopped moving, pointing her hand towards a large oak tree. Up in the branches, Ron could hear the chirping of birds though the blinding rays of sunlight prevented him from seeing any. "Do you know what I like about this place?"_

"_What, Aunt Narcissa?"_

"_It's so peaceful and serene. That is what happens when we choose to leave things untouched, to preserve what is already beautiful."_

"_Ahh, yes," Ron replied as he smiled up at his aunt. "I totally agree!"_

"_Wonderful." Aunt Narcissa said with a sigh. "If only the wizarding world could appreciate that sentiment as much as you and I."_

"_What do you mean?" Ron asked as he gave Narcissa a puzzled look._

"_Our magic. Each day, I read the Prophet and I see are more laws, more legislation to allow for the integration of Muggleborns and Muggles into our world."_

"_Disgusting!" Ron said as he made a face._

_Narcissa laughed. "Ron, tell me, why do you think our family is against such…people coming into our community?"_

"_Well, Uncle Lucius said.."_

"_No, not his words," Narcissa replied. "Yours. Come, Ron, share me your thoughts. You are, after all, a Pureblood and one of the Sacred 28 at that. Why do you think we hate Muggleborns and Muggles?"_

"_Err…," Ron spoke, as he tried to find the right words. "I…er…I just don't like them."_

"_Well, you must have a reason?" Narcissa asked._

"_What's your reason?" Ron spoke as Narcissa chuckled at Ron's tactics to divert the question back to her. Truly a Malfoy trait, indeed._

"_What happens when you add an ice cube to a glass of milk?" Narcissa asked as Ron looked at her with even more confusion._

"_It gets cold?" Ron replied._

"_Yes," Narcissa laughed. "But more than that, when we add ice to a glass of milk, the water from the ice has diluted the milk, causing it to change. If we continued to add water, sooner or later, the milk will disappear and we would have nothing but a disgusting glass of watered down milk, perhaps even water if we continued to add."_

"_Okay…" _

"_It's the same for magic and magical blood, Ron. The more we dilute our blood with Muggle blood, the more the magic disappears until finally, we would be bereft of it. That is why we call them Mudbloods, Ron. Sure, the word is a form of vulgar and bigoted abuse but the essence of it tells you why we hate them. Muggleborns are the reminder that someone in their family line decided to throw caution into the wind and mate with Muggles, causing the magical line to become polluted. Imagine if the wizard or witch responsible had not done so, they might have had children who would have magical powers."_

"_I can't imagine not being with my powers!" Ron blurted out as he shook his head. "Why would anyone be that dumb as to do something like that?"_

"_Because Muggleborns think that just because we look alike, that we are similar." Narcissa sighed. "But that's not true at all. We are not the next stage of evolution and even if we were, it would be like classifying a chimpanzee with a human being and I doubt any human would want to mate with a monkey."_

"_Ewww!" Ron cried out._

"_I agree. It is disgusting. We are so different in many ways, the Muggles and us. We wear different clothes, learn different subjects, have different jobs and yet, wizards and witches think that it's okay to destroy their entire lineage by mating with someone with Muggle blood over something as silly as love."_

"_I would never fall for a Mudblood." Ron declared as Narcissa smiled at him._

"_But that's not why I hate Muggles, Ron." Narcissa sighed as she stared up at the trees. "I hate them because I know about what they're capable of. Out of all the creatures to have ever walked this Earth, no species is more dangerous than that of the Muggle. They've persecuted many of us over the years, and many more of their own. I've seen the evil that grows in their hearts and when my mother and father tell me the stories of how cruel Muggles can be, especially in times of war, well, I say that they even put the Dark Lord to shame."_

"_Did you ever get to meet him? Talk to him?" Ron asked excitedly as Narcissa shook her head._

"_No, unfortunately, that honour went to my husband and others," Narcissa said as she stared at Ron. "Did you know that the Dark Lord was an orphan just like you?"_

"_Like me?! Really?!" Ron gasped. "How do you know this?"_

"_I get bored and I have my hobbies," Narcissa spoke hastily. She couldn't disclose it to Ron, of course, that the Dark Lord had given his diary to the Malfoys and that she had discovered his name by accident when meddling with the book. A further dig and Narcissa unearthed the truth about the Dark Lord as well as his real name._

"_Tom Marvolo Riddle," Narcissa exclaimed to the surprise of Ron. "I found out his identity a while back and decided to keep it a secret."_

"_Riddle?" Ron said, noticing the last name. "But that's not a Pureblood name."_

"_Of course not." Narcissa smiled as Ron gasped once more._

"_He's not a Pureblood. He's a half-blood?"_

"_That's right," Narcissa spoke as she thought about the Death Eater meetings with her husband. How she used to be in awe of the Dark Lord whenever he entered the room. The discovery of who Lord Voldemort is had used to shock her but now, knowing he was a mere half-blood, only increased his status within Narcissa's mind._

"_Imagine Ron, a half-blood, standing up for what's right. I'll be the first to admit, the Dark Lord, can be quite cruel and I have no love loss for some of the individuals he had recruited." Narcissa said with a shudder down her spine at the thought of Fenrir Greyback._ "_But he was the lesser of two evils. I rather put my faith in Him than at the hands of Muggle-loving fools like Dumbledore who will undoubtedly lead us down a much darker path."_

"_Aunt Narcissa," Ron said as he awkwardly swayed on the spot. "How come you didn't become a Death Eater?"_

"_Because, as I've told you, Ron, just because I agree and respect the Dark Lord doesn't mean I accept his methods. Some of which, were far too cruel and much too evil for the likes of you to hear. But he is the better choice. I always believed that You-Know-Who would set the foundation for our world to settle before better leaders take over. There's always a more powerful wizard lurking about. I've learnt that with Grindelwald."_

"_So wait…I'm confused…are we the bad guys?" Ron asked as Narcissa gave another laugh._

"_Only if you choose to see things in such simplistic terms, Ronald. Good or bad is dependent on who wins, not who's right. The victor gets to set the moral standards for which we live by. Personally, the war was about Voldemort against Dumbledore, our side against his and nothing more. We tried to eradicate the Muggle disease and they saw it as cruel and wrong, therefore calling us evil. Like how the Slytherin house is often seen as evil and placed in the dungeons when really, all we do is abide by the standards set to us by Salazar himself."_

"_I see…" Ron said as he frowned his face, trying hard to focus. "So what you're saying is the Dark Lord isn't a bad person?"_

"_Not in his intention at least. And we would have gotten better leaders in the future."_

"_But they said he was to live forever."_

"_But he didn't, did he?" Narcissa said with a smile. "Even the Dark Lord can't live forever."_

"_What about Dumbledore? He's pretty old." Ron laughed although the look on Narcissa's face made him silent almost instantly._

"_Dumbledore is a fool and I can't wait for the old man to finally be gone." Narcissa spat, her anger clearly evident from her blazing blue eyes. Seeing the young Ron in front of her, Narcissa composed herself as she squatted down to give him a hug._

"_Forgive me for such a display. A mother's wrath can be quite overwhelming."_

"_It's okay, Aunt Narcissa." Ron sighed as he hugged her back._

"_Your mother should be the one doing this, you know." Narcissa sighed. "As much as she and I had our differences, I am a mother too and I cannot imagine Molly would ever want to not send her son on his first day at Hogwarts."_

"_It's okay," Ron whispered. "At least she died a hero, fighting off Dark wizards."_

_Narcissa pulled herself off from Ron, her face frowning as she stared at Ron._

"_What is it?" Ron asked as Narcissa shook her head, smiling as she touched his cheeks. Dumbledore be damned! Narcissa thought. For years she had kept her mouth silent, the promise to Dumbledore and his idiotic group kept for the sake of not affecting Ron but it burned her to see Ron like this. Though Narcissa often thought Molly nothing more than a foolish blood traitor who would rather more kids than her monies could handle, she felt nothing but grateful for the witch who kept trying to have a girl to which brought Ron into their lives. How could I let Ron live with this lie? Narcissa thought as she stared at Ron._

_With a face of pure determination, Narcissa rose to her full height._

"_Ronald, there's something you need to know. It's about your parents."_

"_What about them?" Ron asked, clearly surprised at his aunt's demeanour._

"_They weren't killed by Dark wizards," Narcissa said, her words piercing through Ron as he stared back dumbfounded at her. "No, Dumbledore has wanted to keep the truth from you for as long as I can remember but I can no longer abide by it. You deserve the truth, Ron. I know what happened to your parents on the day they died."_

"_How do you know that?" Ron asked as he stared back at his aunt who cleared her throat._

"_Because… I was there."_

…_.._

"Looks like Potter really messed up this time!"

"Wait, Urquhart, if Gryffindor scores 290 points, won't that tie the two teams?"

"Merlin, Vaisey, did that Bludger remove your brains or something?! Ravenclaw would still be ten points ahead if they lost by that score. 300 points would give it to Gryffindor as they would be ahead, having beaten Ravenclaw on head to head. But 300 points with Longbottom at goal and Potter not playing Seeker? Hah, I rather soon bet on the Chudley Cannons to win the league!"

Ron rolled his eyes as he ignored the cackles of laughter coming from the seventh-years. In truth, he no longer cared for Quidditch, their position being last on the table due to his poor concentration as Keeper. Ron stared at the empty seat next to him for a moment before turning his attention back to the Gryffindor Table.

"I can't stand the sight of them either, Ron." Pansy spat as she joined him in glaring at the group at the end of the table. Potter was seated next to Granger, with Longbottom on his other side talking to Luna Lovegood, who had abandoned her Ravenclaw table to sit next to Neville. According to Pansy, Neville and Hermione hadn't been on speaking terms for weeks, ever since Hermione turned him down for Harry. Ron couldn't care less. A look to the side of Granger showed the couple of Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas laughing as the latter played with his sister's hair. Ron lost his appetite, the sight of his sister pained him once more.

He couldn't understand what Urquhart was so happy about, talking about Potter as if the wizard wasn't the luckiest guy in the world. Everything seemed to be working for him. He could see that Granger and Potter were getting closer, not just as friends but physically as well though Pansy mentioned that neither one of them had made a move yet. Neville, who had isolated himself from the pair, was now coming back into the fold, his relationship with Luna a catalyst for that situation. Harry had the girl. Harry had his best friend. Harry even was on speaking and friendly terms with his sister. Harry had everything! So why was Ron surprised about Harry getting away with attempted murder?

Ron had been up in arms when news hit that Potter had attacked Draco and left him in the hospital. Expecting to see Draco in some sort of jinxed state, Ron was shocked by just how badly Draco had been injured, those cuts while having been healed were still all over his body. Pansy had wailed to him that if it weren't for Professor Snape, Draco might have been dead. And what did Potter get in return? Nothing but a slap on a wrist, a detention with their professor being nothing that the wizard couldn't handle.

In contrast, Ron's last few months had been tough. Not only had Ron failed his Apparition test, but he also had to deal with Draco's rather strange behaviour. More forays into the Room of Requirement meant that he, together with Crabbe and Goyle, had to be on the lookout particularly for Potter, who seemed adamant in his quest to prove Draco a Death Eater. Really the only good thing had been his Polyjuice Potion which he and Draco cooked up and tested on Crabbe and Goyle, getting both of them to become girls. A look at Crabbe and Goyle told Ron that though they were just as angry at Draco being in the hospital wing, they were a bit relieved at not having to drink the potion anymore.

Ron stood up from his seat, ignoring Pansy as she called out to him. A passing glance at Tracey showed the witch chatting excitedly to one of the seventh years, her relationship with Ron all but forgotten. Ron heaved a sigh as he made his way to the hospital wing to see Draco once more.

"You got to relax, mate," Draco said as Ron handed him a treacle tart from lunch. "Don't cause any issues. I'm almost done with the task."

"Wish I had been attacked," Ron said with a smirk. "Then I get to pretend to be ill while no one suspects me sneaking out each night."

"Yeah, well. I'll gladly trade you if it means I don't have to listen to Pansy every morning." Draco said with a face.

"Just end it with her as I did with Tracey, mate," Ron said as Draco let out a frustrated groan.

"You don't think I've not done that?! Believe me, I've dumped her, or rather tried dumping her but Pansy wouldn't hear a thing. Said that as long as I'm single, we're still dating."

"How about if you said you were gay?" Ron said with a grin.

"What?! I'm not gay!" Draco replied hotly.

"Come on, at the rate I'm seeing you, you might as well say you're gay for me."

"Please, I'm a Malfoy, not a Black." Draco sniggered.

"Maybe we could get Goyle or Crabbe to take the potion again. And then, we can get both of them here in the morning so that Pansy can see the two of them with you. Course, she's not going to believe it without proof so I supposed Crabbe and Goyle should both lean over and …"

"Stop!" Draco cried, half-serious, half-laughing. "For the love of Salazar, please do not finish that sentence!"

Ron laughed as he reached for the clipboard on Draco's bed. It was a list of visitors that had come to see Draco. As he read the list, his face started to frown.

"What is it?" Draco said as he saw his cousin's face.

"Who came to visit you?"

"Well, there's Pansy. And you. Crabbe and Goyle and Zabini for some reason. And Snape but he was just being his usual pesky self. Why?"

"Figures," Ron said bitterly as he placed the clipboard back. Draco gave a sigh.

"You have to let it go, mate."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say!" Ron said angrily as he folded his arms. " You get to rest here. Meanwhile, I have to listen to people sympathising with Potter because he can't play that stupid final Quidditch game this Saturday. Fucking Potter!" Ron snarled as he hit the side of Draco's bed.

"Well, he has detention with Snape so that should –"

"Detention?!" Ron raised his voice slightly as he glared at Draco. "He FUCKING tried to kill you and Potter doesn't even have the balls to come and apologise? Or ask how you're doing? Why aren't you more angry about this?!"

"It's Potter, Ron. What else can I do?"

"EXACTLY!" Ron yelled. "If it had been one of us, you can be sure we won't get the same preferential treatment that he gets! At the very least, we'd be expelled! At worst, a trip to Azkaban! Why? Because we're Slytherins! We're evil! Monsters! Sons and daughters of Death Eaters!"

"Ron, keep your voice down!" Draco hissed.

"And what about you?" Ron said, ignoring Draco. "Where's the Draco I know? The one who would fight back with me? I've known you all my life and somehow this year, you stopped making fun of Mudbloods?! Stopped caring about Potter? About anything?! Where's the Draco Malfoy that would help me in making his life as miserable as he's making ours?"

"I have a task…"

"Oh yes! Your bloody fucking task in which you won't share with me! Just tell me to do this, cover this, do that, cover for me, blah, blah, fucking blah! What were you even doing in that bathroom? Getting it on with Moaning Myrtle?!" Ron snapped as he paced in front of Draco's bed. Draco watched the entire scene in silence before speaking.

"Are you finished?" Draco said as Ron scowled at him. " Potter. Granger. Longbottom. Defence Against the Dark Arts. Potions. Quidditch. House Points. Prefects. Hogwarts… I don't care about any of that." Draco said as he pulled his sleeve. Ron noticed that the Dark Mark wasn't present on his arm, the Mark hid by a concealment charm that Snape had helped with although Ron was under no illusion that Draco was still feeling the Mark. "All I care about is my mother, my father, aunt, you… our family. That's all! That's all that matters!"

"Draco…"

"Do you know what my reaction was when He first gave me the task?" Draco said as Ron stared at the expressionless and empty face of Draco. "I was excited. Hell, I was more than excited, I was proud. Fucking proud! Proud that of all the others he could have picked, the Dark Lord chose me! But back then, it was just a task. Just a plan. Just a mission that if I failed, I would lose everything but if I succeeded, the Dark Lord would reward me beyond my wildest dreams."

Ron could see a tear now streaking down Draco's face.

"But I was wrong. Every day, Ron, I wake up and I feel this…horrible feeling inside of me. It eats me away at what I had to do. And what I've already done."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked as he studied Draco's face. "Wait, it was you! The necklace with Katie."

"And the poisoned mead with Neville." Draco sighed. "Yes, Ron, in both cases, that was me. So you can see why it would be hypocritical for me to expect Potter to come."

"But how?!" Ron said as he stared at Draco. "You were at Hogwarts when Katie got the necklace. And the mead belonged to Slughorn."

Draco remained silent. Ron sat next to the wizard as he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Draco, tell me. What's this task? I mean…I doubt it's to kill Katie and Neville? And all that time in the Room of Requirement? What's the task?"

"I can't say, Ron." Draco croaked, his voice breaking as Ron shook his head.

"No, Draco, not this time. You're nearly died, mate. Please, for the love of Merlin, just tell me." Ron cried exasperatedly.

"I love my family, Ron," Draco whispered as he stared into Ron's eyes. "And you are my family, even if we aren't from the same blood. I didn't want you to know because…because I want to protect you. It's not your family that the Dark Lord is holding hostage.

" Like you said, mate. We're family and I will do anything to protect you as well." Ron replied firmly as he smiled at Draco who returned a bittersweet smile back at him. "So just tell me. What does the Dark Lord want you to do?"

…..

"All I'm saying is…Luna's quite a girl." Neville spoke as Hermione and Ginny both giggled at the blush forming on Neville's cheeks.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are dating," Ginny said with a wink towards Hermione. Hermione pretended not to notice but in her heart, she was happy as well. It had been some of the hardest weeks of her life when Neville, after his incredible performance during the Slytherin game, had tried to kiss her, only for Hermione to rebuff him. It had led to quite a bit of shouting, unusual for someone as reserved as Neville and was only made worse when Hermione revealed her inclination towards Harry. Nonetheless, it took a near-death situation to get them back on talking terms and the Felix Felicis somehow placed Luna at the right place and at the right time for Neville to start noticing the strange but very likable witch.

"I won't say we're officially dating," Neville said with a grin. "But I'm just glad to get somewhere. Perhaps one day we'll be as lucky as you and Dean."

"Oh, please," Ginny said dismissively. "Dean and I are just in a good place right now, don't want to ruin that."

"Yeah, considering you and he spend the night together last night," Neville spoke, earning a glare from Ginny and a gasp from Hermione.

"Ginny!"

"No! Absolutely not, Granger!" Ginny said as she stuck her fingers into her ears. "I do not want a lecture from the House Prefect right now."

"Besides, it's not like you're completely innocent, Hermione," Neville said hastily, eager to change the subject. "Weren't you and Harry in the Room of Requirement this morning?"

"That was purely for research!" Hermione spoke sharply as Neville and Ginny exchanged looks before bursting into laughter. Hermione let out a groan. Indeed, she and Harry did go to the Room in the morning but only to see if they could guess what the Room was shaping as for Draco Malfoy, whose visits to the Room were increasing rapidly.

"Sure, research!" Ginny said as she made air quotes with her hands as Hermione rolled her eyes. As annoying as the pair was, Hermione did find it slightly amusing that the two people who would be most against her relationship to Harry were now the ones who were the most supportive. Like Neville, Hermione knew of Ginny's crush on Harry but she had thought, with the years it would subside like any childhood crush normally does. Still, Hermione could feel that Ginny wasn't exactly supportive of her relationship to Harry but like a good friend, she did her best. Now that she was in a strong relationship with Dean, things certainly seemed better for her. Perhaps it was the Luck Potion or maybe just a set of events playing itself out but it seemed everything worked out for the best. Both Ginny and Neville were dating other people and Hermione couldn't be happier.

"Maybe I should ask Luna if we want to do _research _ in the library?"

"I'm going to do _research_ in the broom closet on the second floor instead. Much more productive!"

_Okay, maybe not THAT happy_

"You guys are disgusting." Hermione scowled as Ginny and Neville continued to laugh. "For your information, some of us actually have to do research in the library. You know, trying to find out who our mystery potions book owner really is."

Neville and Ginny stopped laughing as the latter gave a groan.

"Oh, give it a rest, Hermione!"

"Yeah, just let it go."

"No, I won't!" Hermione cried adamantly. "That book's already caused more trouble than necessary and even if it's not evil, Harry's still being affected by it. I mean, why else would Slughorn want to see him? Obviously, Harry's been falling behind in Potions and –"

"I think Slughorn just wants some alone time with his prized asset!" Neville said, cutting Hermione off.

"I just wish I could prove who the Half-Blood Prince really is, that's all." Hermione sighed.

"You're just upset because you don't know the answer." Ginny teased. "Imagine, Hermione Granger, being beaten by a book!"

"It's not that!" Hermione snapped. "I'm just worried for Harry."

_Harry._

If Hermione was being completely honest, she was a little taken aback as to just how far her relationship with Harry had progressed. While her brain told her that it was only logical for her to fall for him, having spent countless days worried about him, hanging out, going on adventures and spending every possible second together, it was her heart that seemed to be a little…conflicted. Sure, before Harry had kissed her during the victory of the Quidditch Cup, Hermione would be remiss to say that the thought of her and Harry didn't give her goosebumps. And yet, days after they kissed and declared themselves to be dating, Hermione felt herself being a little distant when it came to their emotions. Harry didn't seem to mind, the whole incident with Draco as well as the Horcruxes had put aside any need to talk about their relationship but for Hermione, just like the whole Half-Blood Prince, there was a piece missing. Almost like a…

"Guys…" Neville spoke, pulling Hermione out of her thoughts as the trio came to a stop outside an empty classroom. There was someone crying inside and by the sound of his voice, it seemed awfully familiar.

"I wonder who's cryi –" Ginny began to speak as she peered around the door, only to pull herself away, her face paling at the sight of the individual. Both Neville and Hermione decided to peek as well and as soon as she laid eyes on who was crying, Hermione could understand why Ginny had acted the way she did.

Ronald Weasley.

Hermione pulled herself away from the door as she and Neville stared at Ginny.

"Why do you think he's crying?" Ginny asked anxiously, her face filled with concern.

"Maybe it's nothing serious," Neville said with a look towards Hermione. "Maybe he's crying over Quidditch results? Or like a bad grade?"

"No," Ginny replied. "I know Ron. That kind of crying is reserved for something serious."

"Like what?" Hermione asked as Ginny shook her head.

"I don't know!" Ginny said in exasperation, her hands raised in the air. "All I know is that Ron doesn't cry like that unless it's something serious!"

"Maybe he's crying over Malfoy? Or maybe he broke up with someone?" Neville said.

"No…Merlin…I should…I should talk to him." Ginny said as she prepared to go through the door, only to stop herself a split second later. "But if I do, Ron might think things are good between us. I just…" Ginny let out a groan of frustration as she leaned her head against Neville's chest.

Hermione gave Ginny a sympathetic look. Ever since Ginny started avoiding Ron, Hermione had heard soft crying coming from her bed almost every night. Hermione could only imagine how hard it must be for Ginny, having to stay away from a family member that she clearly loved dearly. Hermione could never imagine herself doing something like that.

"You have to admit, Ron has been acting awfully strange as of late," Neville spoke as Ginny and Hermione turned to him.

"How so?" Ginny asked.

"Well…and I can't believe I'm actually saying this…but haven't either of you realise how Ron hasn't been insulting us as much as he used to?" Neville said as Hermione nodded.

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "Just the other day, I dropped my books in front of him and Ron didn't even look at me, much less say anything, as he sidestepped me to walk past."

"Really?" Ginny spoke, sounding curious.

"Yeah!" Neville cried. "It's like he just doesn't care anymore. I mean, maybe we should just ignore him. Seems to be working out so far."

"We can't just ignore him, Neville," Hermione said as she motioned towards Ginny who looked to be at a crossroads. "If Ron needs help, we should at least get him some."

"From whom?" Neville countered. "He doesn't seem to want to hang out with his Slytherin friends anymore and I'm sure Snape would just deduct points if we even asked him for help."

"I should go talk to him," Ginny said reluctantly as she turned towards the door. Hermione placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"No. If anyone's talking to him, it should be me."

"You?!" Neville cried incredulously. "I mean no offense Hermione but what makes you think you can get Ron to open up? In case you've forgotten, he thinks you're a… well…you know!" Neville said exasperatedly.

"Even more reason why it should be me!" Hermione insisted. "Ron's the most honest when he's angry and I think that makes me the most suitable person for the job. He can call me a Mudblood for all I care but I'll get him to talk."

"I really don't think that's such a good idea," Neville said as he stared nervously at Ginny, who looked gloomy at the moment. "Ginny?"

"You really think you get him to talk?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Absolutely," Hermione replied as Ginny nodded. "You guys go ahead. I'll meet you two in the common room later."

"Be careful," Neville said as he led stressful-looking Ginny away. Dismissing a lump in her throat, Hermione took a deep breath as she slowly entered the room.

Though she was doing it for Ginny, Hermione had another reason for wanting to talk to Ronald Weasley. Hermione could still recall the conversation she had with Professor McGonagall a few days ago when McGonagall was talking to her about her nomination as Head Girl.

"_Now, Hermione," McGonagall spoke to an already elated Hermione who was in the midst of imagining the look on her friends' faces. "Your record, as I have mentioned, is impeccable save for of course those exceptional moments when you broke rules whenever necessary. There is, however, one issue that I think I need to highlight."_

"_What is it, Professor?" Hermione asked, feeling slightly worried about what she might have done._

"_It has to do with your organisation, the one you set up during your fourth year. I believe you call it the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."_

"_Ahh, yes!" Hermione said brightly. "I set up the organisation together with Harry and Neville, Professor. I admit I haven't had much time to do more for it as of late but nonetheless, I do want to continue with it."_

"_And I have no problems with that, of course," McGonagall replied with a smile. "You can always tell the value of a person by how he treats his inferiors, not his equals and given the philanthropic nature of the group, I wholeheartedly approve. However, I wonder if you may allow me, to give you a little advice ."_

"_Of course, Professor!" Hermione replied instantly. She had always valued Professor McGonagall's opinion._

"_Well, I've talked to Dobby, the elf who works here and he tells me that other than knitting clothes for them, you had been giving talks about how elves should be paid."_

"_They should be paid!" Hermione replied. "Anything less than the offer of payment makes them slaves to us and that's wrong!"_

"_I don't disagree with your intentions, Hermione," McGonagall said. "However, perhaps you might want to try a different approach when it comes to your message. A little understanding is all I'm saying."_

"_Sorry, Professor. But I'm not sure as to what you're trying to say."_

"_Tell me, Miss Granger, would you give money to a dog?"_

"_Excuse me?!" Hermione cried in confusion as McGonagall gave a rare chuckle._

"_Let me explain. Let's assume that a blind man has a Jack Terrier as a guide dog. The dog not only provides company but helps the man in daily activities. At night, he stands guard for the man, protecting his property. Now, from what I just told you, the dog does provide some form of work for the man. Shouldn't the dog be rewarded for his efforts just as anyone who does work?"_

"_Yes, but the dog is given a home and food and care by the man," Hermione replied, still confused as what McGonagall was talking about._

"_But why not pay it?"_

"_A dog doesn't understand the concept of money!"_

"_Neither do elves," McGonagall replied. "Or rather, they do but they don't see it the same way you and I do. To them, a home and food and shelter is enough. Which is why I don't have an issue with you giving them clothes but money, money is a concept that is foreign to these creatures."_

"_Well, it shouldn't be!" Hermione said as McGonagall raised her hand._

"_No one agrees with that more than I. I too, Hermione, wish for more rights to be given to elves but we cannot force them to accept those rights even if what we're doing seems right. You are my brightest student, the brightest of your age if I may say so myself, but you have only lived in our world for six years. Knowledge is not a substitute for experience. Experience allows us to understand the social conventions that governed our society and before we can create change, we first need to understand how those conventions exist."_

"_I think I understand…"Hermione said as she frowned. "You're saying that before I need to see from the perspectives of elves, not just my own?"_

"_Like I said, bright," McGonagall said with a smile. "But do not let that deter you from your mission. All I would advise is that with a little understanding and perhaps some discretion, you can get your message across more effectively. After all, people are who they are because of our environment and no amount of knowledge can ever render that meaningless."_

"_Of course." Hermione sighed. "Neville's been trying to tell me for years about how the wizarding world works. I just…I guess it's the Muggle in me. Slavery's always been looked down in our society so I couldn't imagine how wizards couldn't see that."_

"_I supposed you must think all of us are evil," McGonagall said as she laughed at Hermione's alarmed face. "Relax, Miss Granger. You just brought up a fair point. The concepts of what's right and what's wrong aren't always as clear as we want them to believe. Sometimes, a person does what he believes even though it might seem to others that it's wrong. That's why the Headmaster always reminds me, evil is made not born. No one is ever born bad, just misguided."_

"_I can think of on," Hermione said, as her thoughts flashed to Voldemort. _

"_Not even him, Miss Granger," McGonagall said. "Sometimes, people are just too far gone before they can be pulled back but I believe no one is purely evil or good."_

"_But what if you don't know what's right? What if, as you said, a person keeps doing the wrong thing because he thinks it's right?"_

"_As long as that person believes it's right in his heart and his consequences bring more good than harm, then that's all there really is to it. Of course, it never hurts to get a second opinion. Which is what I'm giving to you with regards to the elves. And I'm glad that you chose to listen."_

"_Evil is made, not born," Hermione repeated as McGonagall flashed her a smile._

"_Even the Devil was an angel before he fell from Grace."_

"Granger?"

Hermione's mind snapped back to reality as she stared at a non-crying Ronald Weasley who looked confused as to her appearance. Hermione mentally cursed herself.

_Great work, Hermione!_

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked as the lanky redhead sat on a table at the front of the class, staring at her with those shining blue eyes of his.

"I…er…" Hermione stammered awkwardly as she tried to focus. _Come on, Hermione, say something!_

"I wanted to check up on you."

"Why?" Ron asked sharply as he narrowed his eyes at the witch.

Hermione was now having second thoughts. Ron looked as if he were about to demand as to her presence and though Hermione wanted him to get angry, it seemed that all it would amount to would be Ron just storming off. Deciding she had to play her ace now, Hermione cleared her throat.

"Ginny. She said she saw you crying and asked me to come to talk to you."

"Why would she send you?" Ron said icily as he glowered at Hermione. For some reason, Hermione's mind was slightly aroused by this though she quickly shackled that thought, dismissing it as purely being in the heat of the moment. Instead, Hermione decided to try a different tactic.

"Trust me," Hermione replied in the same tone of voice as Ron. "I wouldn't want to be here either but Ginny had something to do and she asked me to be here. So here I am."

"Please," Ron scoffed. "Even Longbottom can come out with a better lie than that one."

"Look, I'm doing this as a favour to Ginny so why don't we just focus? She wants to know why you're crying."

"That's none of her business!" Ron replied angrily. "If she was really concerned about me, she can ask me herself and not ask her little Muggle house-elf to do what she clearly can't be bothered to do."

"Ginny's my friend!" Hermione snapped, ignoring the jibe about the house elf. "And she is worried about you."

"So why doesn't she come?" Ron demanded. "Why, out of everyone, she sent you?"

"Because it seems like I'm the only one who can put up with your shit at the moment," Hermione replied.

_That's it, Hermione. Keep baiting him _Hermione thought as she watched his shoulders start to rise, his ears turning red as Ron glared at her.

But as soon as it happened, Ron's shoulders suddenly slumped as the anger on his face disappeared, only to be replaced by a look of exhaustion.

_What the…_

"Just leave me alone, Granger," Ron said sadly as he turned away from her. "Tell Ginny she has nothing to worry about."

_What the.._

Hermione walked over to Ron as she sat on the table next to his. She could see his eyes watering again as Ron stared down at the floor.

"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered as Ron shook his head. Feeling a sense of pity, Hermione picked up a chair and sat in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked softly.

"You wouldn't understand," Ron said as he continued to stare at the floor. Hermione watched as a single tear dropped onto the concrete floor. Recalling what Professor McGonagall had told her, Hermione slowly extended her hand and placed it on top of his. His hand felt smooth under her touch, though Hermione could feel a slight heat radiating from his skin.

"I like to," Hermione said.

For about a minute, there was silence between the pair as Hermione watched tear after tear dropping down onto the floor. Finally, Ron cleared his throat.

"Do you remember that speech Dumbledore spoke to us in our fourth year? The one about Cedric?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, with slight pain in her voice. "I remember."

"I don't get it."

"Which part?"

"The last part. He told us to remember Cedric. Remember that if the time came to choose between what's right and what's easy, to remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of You-Know-Who."

Hermione was astounded. She had recalled seeing Ron muttering with Draco at the Feast that year and he was one of the Slytherin students that refused to raise his goblet to honour Harry. Apparently, Ron had been listening.

"What do you think he meant by that, Granger?"

"Well." Hermione said as she gave the question some thought. "I believe that Dumbledore wanted us to not only honour Cedric by always remembering him for all the good that he did but also he wanted us to know how important it is to do what is right, even if it might the hardest thing in the world for us to do."

"But what if you don't know what's right?"

"As long as you believe it's right in your heart and it brings more good than harm, then I think that's the right thing to do. But why not tell me about it? Maybe I can help."

Ron gave Hermione a strange look, as if he was considering telling her what's on her mind. However, her thoughts were soon dashed as Ron looked down at her hand.

"You can't, Granger. And not for nothing but you're not exactly my…blood type." Ron said with a smirk. "Plus, I believe you have a boyfriend."

"Honestly!" Hermione cried with indignation as she jerked her hand away. "You're such a prat, Weasley!"

"And you're a nosy git, Granger!" Ron replied as he stood to his feet. "Admit it, you don't have a clue as to what Dumbledore meant by that speech. You're just trying to guess."

"At least I know what's right and what's wrong!" Hermione snapped. "Which is more than I can say for you!"

"Why didn't he say wrong, though?" Ron said more to himself as he ignored Hermione. "Why say easy?"

"Because, you prat, not everything is about right or wrong! Like it's easy for a man to steal food to feed his starving family but it certainly isn't the right thing to do."

"But he's desperate!" Ron replied. "Surely you're not suggesting that it would be right to let his family starve!"

"Of course not!" Hermione. "All I'm saying is that the man should at least consider all possibilities before resorting to something so desperate. If we only think that the desperate option is the right one, the only one, then we're clearly trying to convince ourselves that it's the right thing to do. But there's always, always other options. If you only see the desperate way out, then you're obviously blinding yourself to the other possibilities that would allow you _not _to choose."

"That's…that's…" Ron said as he frowned upon hearing Hermione's words.

"What? Foolish? Stupid? Something only a Muggleborn would say?" Hermione cried exasperatedly as she threw her arms in the air.

"Brilliant."

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed in shock as she stared blankly at Ron whose face bore a slight smile. She could see from his expression that Ron was working something out in his mind.

"I think I finally understand," Ron said as he started to laugh incessantly. "Merlin, I've been so…this way Draco wouldn't….Fuck, of course!"

"What?" Hermione said, curiosity getting the better of her.

Ron turned his attention back to Hermione, his face seemingly caught between wanting to express his gratitude and his disdain for her. Somehow, Ron composed himself enough to let out a small grunt.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome?" Hermione replied, confused as to what just happened. Ron started to make his way to the door before turning around at the last second.

"Ginny," Ron said as Hermione stared at him. "Is she…like…is she happy with…er…"

"Dean." Hermione finished for him. "Yes, yes she is."

"That's good." Ron sighed. "Tell her not to worry. And that I'm sorry. For everything."

"Ron…wait…" Hermione started to speak before Ron raised his hand.

"I'm okay. Tell her not to worry. I'll be fine." Ron said as he turned around.

"She misses you! Ginny!" Hermione blurted out, not wanting him to leave just yet. "She cries about you in her sleep."

Ron stopped in his tracks, turning around once more as he gave Hermione a bittersweet smile.

"Tell her I miss her too. And that I will always love her. No matter what."

….

**1991**

"_It was supposed to be a simple and easy mission." Aunt Narcissa spoke as the pair of them sat on a couch before the fireplace. They were back inside his Aunt's private study, its big and bare walls now making the room much larger and far more intimidating than Ron realised . Ron stared at his aunt whose face was shrouded in sadness as her eyes concentrated on the burning embers of the fireplace._

"_Back then, after the Longbottom trial, many witches and wizards were still feeling the effects of war. The wizarding community wanted to eradicate as much of Dark Lord's regime as possible and he had quite a substantial army, from Death Eaters to sympathisers, to magical creatures and all sorts of support from many different parts of the world. For people like my Lucius, though acquitted of any charges, he was scrutinized much more than necessary due to the substantial amount of suspicion he attracted due to his defence of being under the Imperius Curse. Aurors were coming in weekly and I knew in my heart that they were just trying to find a reason to persecute Lucius. I couldn't bear to see my husband in such a state so I decided to do something. I decided to help the Ministry in tracking Dark wizards or witches related to the Dark Lord's regime in the hopes of getting Lucius into the Ministry's good graces."_

_Narcissa heaved a sigh before continuing to speak._

"_Recently, I had gotten word of two black market dealers who specialise in the selling and buying of cursed magical objects through one of my old contacts. Now, Ron, you need to understand that the way these dealers operate is different for most dealers on the black market. These dealers make use of Muggles who have been put under the Imperius Curse to do the actual sale, thus making it difficult to catch them as they usually far from the scene of the crime. With my knowledge, I decided to sell out both these men and so, we laid a trap."_

_Narcissa's face started to darken as Ron listened intently to his aunt's story._

"_It was Dumbledore who planned the trap. You see, Ronald, instead of going to the Ministry and using Aurors, Dumbledore convinced your father to apprehend these wizarding criminals. You see, your dad was employed in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office in the Ministry. Such a capture was not only within his jurisdiction, but would also increase his chances for promotion, giving Arthur and Molly more money to help in raising all of you. Because of this and his distrust with certain Ministry policies, Dumbledore encouraged Arthur to go. Arthur wanted to go alone but Molly insisted on coming to help watch her husband's back. I didn't have a say, of course."_

_Narcissa could see by Ron's face that the poor boy was still trying to process everything._

"_I urged Dumbledore to bring in Aurors many times but Dumbledore refused, his ego and arrogance blinding him." Narcissa continued. "Everything was going smoothly. I had to go in unarmed and because thanks to my efforts, the dealers actually came together with their Muggle. I bought some items from them and so, once the transaction was complete, Arthur appeared and managed to subdue both wizards. Molly then appeared to take the items off my hands for evidence. That was supposed to be the end of it and I walked away while Arthur and Molly dealt with the Muggle"_

"_But then…" Narcissa spoke as her voice began to break. "It happened."_

_Ron's face started to pale._

"_Arthur went to break the Muggle from the spell. Your mother was next to him, helping him. But the thing about breaking someone from the Imperius Curse is that they know they're under a spell but can't do anything about it. So that makes them feel very scared, especially for a Muggle. And people feel scared, they tend to lash out."_

_Aunt Narcissa stared at Ron's face whose red hair and blue eyes reminded her of Arthur Weasley._

"_The Muggle man had a gun, something not one of us discovered beforehand. Your parents…they… didn't even see it coming." _

_Narcissa felt a shiver run down her spine as she recalled the two loud shots that had echoed through the alley before watching the bloodied sight of Arthur Weasley knelling over and falling to the ground. Next to him was Molly sprawled on the floor, her face nothing more than a bloody mess. The Muggle and she had locked eyes and Narcissa recalled the fear she felt at being defenceless. Fortunately, the Muggle seemed to have to his senses and having been appalled at what he'd done, taken off in the opposite direction._

"_I wished I had reacted sooner, Ronald," Narcissa whispered with guilt in her voice. "But by the time I came to my senses, the Muggle had taken off in the opposite direction. I then called the Aurors to come in but it was all too little, too late."_

"_Wait…"Ron said as he stared into his Aunt's eyes. "Are you saying…are you saying…that…my parents were killed by a Muggle?"_

_NO!_

"_Yes." Aunt Narcissa spoke once more. "In the end, your parents died at the hands of the group they so desperately wanted to protect. The irony was not to be missed."_

"_But Dumbledore…"_

"_He lied, Ronald. Dumbledore was afraid that by revealing this truth, he might lose both you and Percival to us. So he made us all swear not to ever reveal the truth to you. To prevent us from using it."_

_NO!NO!_

_Ron's head was spinning as he tried to absorb the situation. He couldn't believe his ears. A Muggle! A rotten, dirty, good for nothing Muggle was the reason that his parents were dead ?! _

"_Your father loved Muggles, Ron." Narcissa continued. "He would never have raised a hand at them unless he absolutely needed to. But the Muggle was just too fast."_

"_Did they catch him?" Ron demanded as his anger started to overpower his shock. "Did they catch the Muggle who did it?"_

_Aunt Narcissa gave Ron a sad look. "No. They knew who he was, of course. But the Ministry didn't take much action on him."_

"_But why?!" Ron yelled, incensed at the thought. "He killed people!"_

"_He was a Muggle who killed a wizard and a witch and the laws that govern both our worlds made it difficult to prosecute him. So, the Ministry reported him to the Muggle authorities but without the bodies to inspect as the Ministry wouldn't allow an autopsy on a wizard, they didn't have a case."_

_NO! NO! NO!_

"_But justice did find its way in the end." Aunt Narcissa spoke. " The Muggle killed himself a week later, presumably from what he had done."_

"_Good," Ron said out loud as he clenched his fists. He could feel himself shaking with rage. All this time, he had thought his parents dying at the hands of Dark Wizards. It was this thought that comforted him, this idea that made him a little hesitant towards the Dark Arts. He had even at one time, despised Uncle Lucius for it until his mother told him that Uncle Lucius had nothing to do with such bad people._

_All of it was a lie._

_His parents had been killed by a Muggle. The Muggles that his father had loved. The people that his parents fought a war to defend._

_NO! NO! NO! NO!_

"_I…no…really…I mean…that's how they died?" Ron asked as Narcissa sighed. She didn't want it to come to this and yet, she had promised Ron the truth. Pressing her wand against her head, Narcissa extracted the memory of that day. She walked towards a nearby wall, where with a single knock, caused the wall to split in two as a Pensieve rolled out._

"_Would you like to see?"_

…

**30****th**** June 1997**

"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know?" Malfoy said at once, as Dumbledore noted just how childish it sounded. "You don't know what I'm capable of. You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh yes, I do," Dumbledore said mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Neville Longbottom. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts. . . . So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."

"It has been in it!" Malfoy said vehemently. "I've been working on it all year, and tonight —"

A muffled yell from down below interrupted him as Dumbledore watch Malfoy stiffened for a moment. Dumbledore decided to continue the conversation as he hoped that the yell wasn't from one of his friends.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight…But you were saying . . . yes, you have managed to introduce Death Eaters into my school, which, I admit, I thought impossible. . . . How did you do it?"

Malfoy continued to remain silent though he looked agitated. Dumbledore studied the young wizard's expression. There seemed to be something strange about Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore thought, as he continued to probe the lad.

"Perhaps you ought to get on with the job alone," Dumbledore suggested. "What if your backup has been thwarted by my guard? As you have perhaps realized, there are members of the Order of the Phoenix here tonight too. And after all, you don't really need help. . . . I have no wand at the moment. . . . I cannot defend myself."

Malfoy merely stared at him.

"I see," Dumbledore said kindly as he noted that wizard had neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."

"I'm not afraid!" Malfoy snarled, though he still made no move to hurt Dumbledore. "It's you who should be scared!"

"But why?" Dumbledore asked. " I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe. . . . So tell me, while we wait for your friends . . . how did you smuggle them in here? It seems to have taken you a long time to work out how to do it."

Malfoy took several deep breaths. "I had to mend that broken Vanishing Cabinet that no one's used for years. The one Vaisey got lost in last year."

"Aaaah." Dumbledore's sigh was half a groan. He closed his eyes for a moment. "That was clever. . . . There is a pair, I take it?"

"In Borgin and Burkes," Malfoy replied, "and they make a kind of passage between them. Vaisey told me that when he was stuck in the Hogwarts one, he was trapped in limbo but sometimes he could hear what was going on at school, and sometimes what was going on in the shop, as if the cabinet was traveling between them, but he couldn't make anyone hear him. . . . In the end, he managed to Apparate out, even though he'd never passed his test. He nearly died doing it. Everyone thought it was a really good story, but I was the only one who realized what it meant — even Borgin didn't know — I was the one who realized there could be a way into Hogwarts through the cabinets if I fixed the broken one."

"Very good," murmured Dumbledore. "So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school to help you. . . . A clever plan, a very clever plan . . . and, as you say, right under my nose."

"Yeah…" Draco replied though Dumbledore noted the poignant tone that the boy was using. "Yeah, it was."

"But there were times," Dumbledore continued, "weren't there, when you were not sure you would succeed in mending the cabinet? And you resorted to crude and badly judged measures such as sending me a cursed necklace that was bound to reach the wrong hands . . . poisoning mead there was only the slightest chance I might drink. . . ."

"Yeah, well, you still didn't realize who was behind that stuff, did you?" Malfoy sneered as Dumbledore slid a little down the ramparts, the strength in his legs apparently fading.

"As a matter of fact, I did," said Dumbledore. "I was sure it was you."

"What?" Malfoy replied, looking thunderstruck.

"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on my orders —"

"You knew Draco wanted to kill you and you did nothing?"

"Yes, well I…" Dumbledore spoke before realising what Draco had just said. Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as he stared back at the wizard whose expression of anger and confusion reminded Dumbledore of another student he knew. Suddenly, it dawned on Dumbledore.

"Ronald?"

Ron let out a grunt of frustration. His plan had been working perfectly before that slip of his tongue. He had followed Draco into the Room of Requirement and just before the Death Eaters came through, Ron shot Draco with a Stunning Spell before hiding his cousin behind a couch inside the Room of Requirement. Following Draco's plan as much as he could, Ron had thrown the powder as well as used the Hand of Glory in order to reach the Astronomy Tower. Yet nothing could have prepared Ron for Dumbledore's revelation.

"What do you mean you knew about Draco trying to kill you?"

"I have my sources," Dumbledore said as he tried to make sense of the situation. _Why on earth would Ronald Weasley pretend to be Draco Malfoy?_

"So you knew all this time and you did nothing?"

"I tried to help Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping a watch over him on my orders." Dumbledore replied as Ron scoffed. He doubted that Albus Dumbledore knew that Snape was actually a spy, his loyalty clearly to the Dark Lord as told by Draco who resented the wizard for wanted the task for his own personal glory. _More mistakes, eh Dumbledore? _Ron thought as he kept his wand pointed at his Headmaster.

"So tell me, Ronald, what is it you intend to do? Clearly, you've been using the Polyjuice Potion but why pretend to be Draco?"

"Because, Headmaster, like you said," Ron replied as he raised his wand. "Draco's not a killer."

"No, he isn't. But neither are you, Ronald. So why would you do something like this? Why would you take away this opportunity from a Death Eater?"

"Opportunity?!" Ron cried hotly. "You think Draco wants to do this? Draco isn't like Uncle Lucius or Aunt Bella or Fenrir Greyback! Draco….he's just a kid. He's just scared. And when someone's scared, they lash out."

"Indeed." Dumbledore sighed. "So instead of letting your cousin kill me and having to be burdened with guilt for the rest of his life, you decided to take the weight from him?"

"Of course," Ron said sadly. "I didn't want it to come to this, Professor, but there was no other choice. But then I remembered what you told me. And what you showed me."

Ron pointed towards Dumbledore's hand.

"You said that you were dying. You told me about your hand. And most of all, you said that if you had the chance, you would give up your own life to save my family. Draco _is _my family! I'm asking you to keep your word."

Dumbledore stared blankly at Ron. Slowly, a smile crept upon his lips.

"You truly are quite an interesting wizard, Ronald Weasley. You took your cousin's place because you did not want him to become a killer. I assume the reason for the disguise is to fool the other Death Eaters that will meet us shortly."

Ron said nothing as he gripped his wand tighter.

"And here you are, giving me a chance to redeem myself even though as you probably know by now, I only encouraged your parents, but I did not force them to go. What happened to them was a tragedy, a horrible tragedy, but a tragedy nonetheless."

"They listened to you!" Ron snapped.

"And seeing that I'm the one who kept the secret from you, it was easy to pile on the blame." Dumbledore continued. "Just as it would be easy for this to be just about revenge. Any wizard in your position would simply do it for that but you, Ron, you're not doing this out of revenge. You're doing this for your family and in doing so, you are giving me a chance to keep my promise. I suppose I do see it that way, this sacrifice being my moment of redemption…"

"I have no choice." Ron sighed.

"I fear, however, there is just one little snag," Dumbledore said as he gave Ron a bittersweet smile.

"What's that?"

"You're not a killer either, Ronald Weasley."

"Didn't you hear me just say –"

"I am at your mercy, Ronald." Dumbledore sighed. "I am weak and you have your wand aimed at me. But have you ever used an Unforgivable Curse before? You have to mean them, Ronald and your heart, just like Draco, is not in it. Neither you and Draco would have been able to kill me with a wand."

"Then you do it!" Ron cried desperately. "Surely you –"

BANG!

Whatever Ron wanted to say was now left hanging as he and Dumbledore turned towards the recent visitors to the Tower. Ron could only stare in horror at the Death Eaters that had gathered. While he hadn't stayed around to see who was coming with the exception of Aunt Bella, it was still a frightening shock to see certain individuals whom Ron had no desire of ever meeting.

"Good evening, Amycus," Dumbledore said calmly to the Carrow siblings whom Ron recognise from Draco's descriptions. "And you've brought Alecto too. . . . Charming . . ."

Alecto gave an angry little titter. "Think your little jokes will help you on your deathbed then?" she jeered.

"Jokes? No, no, these are manners," Dumbledore replied.

"Do it," Fenrir said as Ron could hardly believe that the werewolf was in Hogwarts. Ron could smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat, and, unmistakably, of blood coming from Fenrir as he cringed at the sight of Fenrir's filthy hands.

"Is that you, Fenrir?" Dumbledore asked.

"That's right," Fenrir replied in a rasping voice "Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am."

"But you know how much I like kids, Dumbledore," Fenrir spoke, showing his pointed teeth with blood trickling down his chin.

"Am I to take it that you are attacking even without the full moon now? This is most unusual. . . . You have developed a taste for human flesh that cannot be satisfied once a month?" Dumbledore questioned calmly though Ron could sense disgust and fear being his Headmaster's tone.

"That's right," said Fenrir Greyback. "Shocks you that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?"

"Well, I cannot pretend it does not disgust me a little," said Dumbledore. "And, yes, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live. . . ."

"I didn't," Ron responded after Dumbledore gave him a look. He had forgotten for a moment that he was Draco. "I didn't know he was going to come ."

"I wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts, Dumbledore," Greyback rasped. "Not when there are throats to be ripped out. . . Delicious, delicious . . ."

Ron no longer paid any attention to their discussion as his eyes were firmly on Dumbledore. He could sense that the wizard was clearly weakening. Almost as if he was about to die himself if one were to simply push him. Though the thought gave him a little push, Ron could feel his heart pounding in his chest as his body started to shake.

"Now, Draco, quickly!" Yaxley shouted. There had been some resistance from Fenrir who was blasted away by Yaxley. Ron could hear Alecto screaming at him and yet, he couldn't bring himself to do it. In his mind, Ron recalled the memory, the look on the Muggle's face after he had killed his parents.

"We got a problem, Snape" Amycus spoke as Ron was dragged from his thoughts, shocked that his professor was here.

"Severus…" called out a soft voice, which Ron realised had come from Dumbledore. Before he had time to think, Ron found himself being pushed roughly aside. As he staggered a few paces, Ron looked at Snape, whose lines seemed to have revulsion and hatred etched into his face.

Or so one would think.

Ron recognised the look. It wasn't a look of hatred or anger towards someone but one Ron knew all too well, one associated with pain and guilt.

"Severus…please…" Dumbledore spoke, his tone almost pleading. Realising what was about to happen, Ron wanted to scream as he watched Snape raised his wand and point it at Dumbledore.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

"NOOO!" Ron yelled as a jet of green light came out of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. As Dumbledore was blasted through the air, a sharp pain pierced its way into Ron's head.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Ron yelled as he collapsed to the floor. Ron watched as Dumbledore fell off the edge of the tower, his last vision before darkness surrounded his sight and took him.

Darkness.

That's all that Ron could see. Nothing but black surrounding him. He felt himself being trapped by Death, his life certainly all but over. As Ron felt himself moving, he could also feel something soft beneath his hands.

Soft and smooth. Almost like he was floating on a…mattress.

Tiny rays of light started to appear as Ron found his eyes moving slowing; the rays breaking through his eyelashes as his vision, which had started to become hazy, was becoming clearer by the second. It was then that Ron heard his voice, calling out to him.

"Wake up, you lazy oaf!"

….

**End of Chapter 2**

**Phew! Just a few things to take note of here.**

**I know it seemed like I kind of rushed Ron's character here but I wanted to get all of the issues about Ron out of the way. In the time loop, I wanted to focus on other things.**

**You will soon read about how the time loop works in the upcoming chapters. I won't say more except that the time loop will focus solely on Ron's sixth year.**

**This also means that yes, there will be a seventh-year chapter as well. Remember the only way for Voldemort to die is for him to kill Harry and for Harry to kill him. Canon is canon.**

**I will also show you why Hermione and Harry get together in the absence of Ron. I know it might sound hypocritical given what I said about Dramione to have Harmony in this story but the plot will explain it along the way. While it would seem easier to just put Harry and Ginny back together considering they are canon, one needs to also realise that the absence of Ron, a unique character, from Harry's life of six years can cause certain things to change.**

**Neville was not originally supposed to be part of the Golden Trio. If anything, I believe that Harry would have most likely gotten closer to Dean, seeing that Dean is Muggleborn, and the pair would be friends with Hermione. Neville, would most likely, be the character that tags along with them, especially during the first four years because he was still very timid back then, but this reminded me too much of Peter Pettigrew and I adore Neville way too much. **

**Until next time, thanks for reading and please, please review if you can. Love you all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm sorry. The last time you saw me, I was in great health and well, certain things happen which landed me in the hospital. Writing fanfiction was the furthest thing from my mind.**

**Anyways, thank you for your reviews. I appreciate them all especially those that show how much my story means to you. I was already typing a week ago. This chapter, for me, was especially tedious because I wanted to portray a realistic yet believable time loop for Ron. (Otherwise, the poor guy will be repeating time loops for a year each time!). **

**So do enjoy the story and thanks for sticking around!**

**CHAPTER 3: HOW TO WIN A WAR**

**October 12****th****, 1996**

Dumbledore sat in his office, his eyes focused on the unusual necklace that Snape had brought in. Even without touching it, Dumbledore could sense the raw Dark magic emanating from the object. Dumbledore grimaced at the sight of it, mentally cursing himself. He and Severus had been keeping an eye on Draco Malfoy for some time now and yet, he had put a student's life at risk. If poor Katie Bell had held on to the necklace for a few minutes longer, Dumbledore shuddered at the thought of her death.

_Maybe I underestimated Severus_ Dumbledore thought as he recalled Snape telling him about his unsuccessful efforts to reach Draco. It seemed that Draco, despite being just a child, was adamant about pursuing his task, seeing Snape's efforts to help him as an attempt to undermine him to the Dark Lord. Instead, Draco had chosen to distance himself away from his professor, finding solace within his friends Crabbe and Goyle as well as his cousin Ronald Weasley.

_Ronald_

If there was a chance, a need to, Dumbledore would have to approach the youngest Weasley boy for help. Yet Dumbledore was under no delusion about how Ronald felt towards him. Even with their meeting earlier this year, the boy seemed to want nothing to do with Dumbledore himself, retreating to an isolated state rivalling that of Draco's. Of course, there was a chance, every chance that Draco had told Ron about becoming a Death Eater and about his task but Dumbledore had decided against telling Ron or bringing him into this. Forcing him to choose a side might just push Ron further away.

Dumbledore never put much faith in coincidences. To him, a coincidence was simply the work of forces beyond his understanding, putting related events together either for a purpose or just for their own amusement. As such, when Dumbledore first heard a surprising knock on his office's door and the individual let himself in, he couldn't help but be slightly amused at the situation.

A weary-looking Ronald Weasley entered, his eyes seemingly dazed from a lack of sleep or something on his mind as without waiting or asking for permission, Ron plopped himself down on the seat in front of Dumbledore.

"Why, hello there, Ronald," Dumbledore said, surprised by the wizard's appearance. Ever since the fiasco early in the year that had landed Ronald in the hospital due to some allergic reaction, he could sense that Ron was actively trying to avoid him for the past few months. "What can I do for you?"

"Tell Professor McGonagall that she may come back later and that you've been intending to give her the new list of offices for the upcoming year. The parchment is in the black drawer at the bottom of your desk."

"What are you –" Dumbledore spoke, dumbfounded by Ron's request as there was another knock on the door. In came Professor McGonagall who looked equally surprised by Ron's appearance.

"Oh, pardon me, Headmaster, I didn't realise you were with a student. I only came to ask for the list of offices for next year. Binns has been pursuing me, you see…"

"Of course, Minerva," Dumbledore said as he gaped slightly at Ron who merely shrugged his shoulders. Reaching for the black drawer at the bottom of his desk, Dumbledore was surprised to see that indeed, the parchment was there.

"Here you go," Dumbledore said as McGonagall thanked him before reaching for the door. Suddenly, Ron turned his head.

"Professor, I believe Peeves is now on the seventh-floor trying to throw water bombs. I would suggest instead of leaving the safety of the office, you should wait at least a minute before going out."

McGonagall eyed Ronald strangely. Before she could say anything, Dumbledore nodded at her, dismissing McGonagall from his office.

"Ronald, what is –" Dumbledore started as he turned to Ron who pulled his chair away from his left-hand side.

"The kettle's an old brand and is a copy, not an original," Ron spoke as, upon cue, the kettle next to Dumbledore suddenly exploded as drops of coffee landed all over where Ron had previously seated. Dumbledore nearly leapt in surprise as Ron offered a handkerchief to the wizard.

"Thank you," Dumbledore replied as Ron shrugged his shoulders again. "Don't mention it. And don't worry about that yell. Hagrid's just mad that Fang and some wild creature decided to have a romp in his now newly destroyed pumpkin patch."

True enough, a loud yell coming from outside the Hogwarts grounds made its way to Dumbledore's office as the older wizard made a beeline for his window. Dumbledore caught sight of his gamekeeper running after a large dog while raising his fist and pointing to his pumpkin patch which was now filled with ruined pumpkins.

"My dear boy, how on earth did you know all of this was going to happen?" Dumbledore asked, wondering if Ron had developed some sort of Seer ability.

"No, I'm not a Seer." Ron sighed as he read Dumbledore's thoughts. He was exhausted, not so much physically as he was mentally. The past several times had been quite the experience but now, Ron was completely sick of it. Everything, everything he did had come up against a wall. It was now time to seek Dumbledore's help once more.

"What I'm about to tell you might sound strange," Ron spoke as Dumbledore made his way back to his desk. "But you have to believe me. People's lives are at stake."

"Well then," Dumbledore said as he put a fresh kettle on to brew. "Start from the beginning and I assure you, Ronald, that you have my complete and undivided attention."

Ron gave a mirthless laugh. "The beginning…well…that might be a little tricky."

….

_What. The. Fuck._

_Those exact words ran through Ron's mind as he held on to Tracey's hand. Here he was surrounded by his mates and Draco, whom Ron was eager to explain things when who should enter but Dumbledore himself. For a moment, Ron could just gape at the sight of Dumbledore who other than a tired look in his eyes, looked very much alive with his twinkling blue eyes, long beard, and gentle face._

"_Headmaster!" Ron exclaimed at the sight of Dumbledore. "I thought you were dead! You died! In front of me!"_

"_Severus, would you escort your student back to their classes? I need a word with Ron in private."_

"_Out!" Snape barked as the Slytherin students each said their goodbyes to Ron with Draco giving him a warm smile. Ron took a moment to study his professor's face, frowning at the sight of the man who killed Dumbledore. Snape looked slightly dumbfounded for the moment before returning back to his usual glowering demeanour. As everyone left, Ron sat up quickly in bed and stared at Dumbledore._

"_Sir, what is going on? How are you still alive?"_

"_I assure you, Ronald, that the tea you drank wasn't poison. I suspect you might have had an allergic reaction to it."_

_Tea?! Allergic reaction?! Ron could only stare in disbelief at his headmaster. What in Merlin's name are you talking about, old man?! I'm talking about Snape snuffing you out at the Astronomy Tower! Why would you be talking to me about tea?! The last time I drank the bloody thing was in your…_

_Ron felt something drop in his stomach as his eyes widened to the size of saucers._

"_Ronald?" Dumbledore spoke with concern._

_Ignoring the wizard, Ronald looked frantically around. He recognised the bed, the place where he was. Tracey. Draco. Snape. This was where he was a year ago! When he was affected by the cup of tea that Dumbledore offered him. Seeing a copy of the Daily Prophet on his bed stand, Ron snatched the paper as his eyes stared at the date before him._

"_Sir, isn't today the 1__st__ of August 1997? Or the 30__th__ of June 1997?"_

_Dumbledore gave Ron a bemused stare as he shook his head. "No, today is a Sunday, the 8__th__ of September 1996. Why would you ask me that?"_

_Ron gaped at his Headmaster as his lips tried to mouth words but to no avail. Only two words floated about Ron's mind as he tried to comprehend his situation._

_Bloody hell._

….

"So you time- travelled," Dumbledore said as Ron nodded.

"Yes, apparently after what happened in the Astronomy Tower, once you died, I felt intense pain and found myself back almost a year ago," Ron replied.

"I see, well Ron, if I may…"

"Yes," Ron said as he waved a dismissive hand. "You were going ask me about what happened the first time round before I time travelled."

"My apologies," Dumbledore spoke as Ron stared at him. "I assume you have already told past versions of me this story multiple times."

"Yes…" Ron said as he looked curiously at Dumbledore. "This is the first time you've apologised though."

"Manners make us who we are," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Please, go on."

As Ron told his entire story of his sixth year, Dumbledore listened intently while at the same time becoming more and more fascinated with the wizard. _Merlin, you are something else, aren't you, Ronald Weasley?_ Dumbledore thought as soon as Ron finished his story.

"And I supposed you told this story to me the first time you time travelled," Dumbledore spoke as Ron nodded.

"But you didn't believe me," Ron said as Dumbledore gave him a sympathetic look.

"Forgive my past self. Despite my appearance, I am known to be quite sceptical especially when it comes to issues like time travel. In fact, if not for what you showed me before we sat down to talk, I might have found all this hard to believe."

"Why do you think I did all that?" Ron replied dryly. "Anyways, so yeah, the first time, not so good. And so I realise that if I had to get you to believe me, I would need proof. Irrefutable proof. So I choose an event that happened, that would happen, in the week that was to come."

Dumbledore frowned as he tried to recall events in September before letting out a sigh. There could only be one event and judging from Ron's sombre expression, Dumbledore had guessed right.

…..

"_Tracey, enough," Ron said as he pushed Tracey off his lap. Tracey pouted in disappointment as Draco rolled his eyes at Ron who flipped him off in return. They were all seated in the Slytherin common room, sharing the couch with a couple of third years with whom Draco had helping him with his essays as Crabbe and Goyle 'supervised' the pair._

"_Ron!" cried the voice of Pansy Parkinson as she entered the dormitory. On her, Ron could see the flashing badge of Prefect shining brightly on her robes. Malfoy had spoken to Snape about switching prefect roles but Snape was adamant in Draco for taking them on, telling him that he had a better chance at becoming Head Boy next year, a strange suggestion considering Snape knew about Draco's task._

"_Dumbledore wants to see you now. He's here." Pansy said as she stuffed a note into his hands. Reading it and thanking Pansy, Ron made a beeline out of the common room and towards the fourth-floor classroom where Dumbledore was. As he made his way to the fourth floor, an unusual sight waited for him outside the classroom._

_Hannah Abbott, the green-eyed, blonde pigtailed witch with an impressive bosom was engulfed inside a tight embrace with an older woman sharing similar features. Ron watched as Hannah hugged her mother tightly while crying into her robes._

"_Oh, thank Merlin!" Hannah cried loudly as her mother kissed her on her forehead._

"_Thank Dumbledore, my dear." Violet Abbott said to her daughter though she too was weeping. "If it wasn't for him, Kingsley and Alastor, who knows what could have happened to me?"_

"_I don't what I would do without you, mom." Hannah wept as Violet continued to console her. "I wouldn't have wanted to stay at Hogwarts."_

"_You need to be strong, Hannah," Violet whispered as Ron passed the pair. "I'm here. I'm safe. Don't worry about me, alright?"_

"_I will always worry about you."_

_Ron kept his face hidden, his eyes staring down as he entered the classroom, not wanting to interrupt or intrude on the pair's private moment. As he entered the classroom, he could see Dumbledore standing in front of two men. The first, a blonde-haired man with a slight stomach and a haggard look in his brown eyes, was being comforted by the other, a tall, dark and bald man, one Ron recognised from news clippings as the Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt._

"_Here he is, Marcus. This is the boy, Ronald Weasley." Dumbledore said as he motioned for Ron to come forth._

"_This is he? A Weasley?" the blonde man gasped as Dumbledore nodded. "He saw what happened?"_

_Ron gave Dumbledore a confused look as the bearded wizard laughed. "Yes, Ron is a Seer. Without his vision, I can only imagine what might have happened."_

_A Seer?! Before Ron could say a word, he felt himself being engulfed in a tight hug as the blonde man cried softly into his ear._

"_Oh, bless you, thank you, Ronald Weasley!" Marcus exclaimed as Ron was taken aback by the gesture. "Forgive me, I'm just being too emotional. You saved my wife. You saved my family. I will never, ever forget that."_

"_You're…welcome?" Ronald said as he patted the blonde-haired wizard awkwardly. A loud grunt from Kingsley brought Marcus to his senses as he removed himself from Ron with a sheepish look on his face._

"_I'm sorry," Marcus said as Ron shook his head._

"_I know what it's like to lose a parent, Mr Abbott," Ron said as he stared hard at Dumbledore. "Hannah shouldn't have to go through what I did."_

"_For what it's worth, Ronald," Marcus spoke gently as he gave Ron a sympathetic look. "You will always be welcome in my home. I owe you a debt that I can never repay."_

"_It's nothing, really," Ron said, feeling quite embarrassed. Once again, Kingsley came to Ron's rescue._

"_Why don't you go and spend some time with your family, Marcus? Albus and I have some things to discuss with Ron."_

_He knows my name?! Ron thought happily before realising that Dumbledore had introduced him. If there ever was a person Ron idolised, other than Quidditch players, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt. Fearless and powerful Auror with a reputation of handling the Ministry's toughest cases. Add to the fact that he was a Pureblood and one could understand why Ron admired the wizard greatly._

"_Of course," Marcus said with a last smile to Ron._

"_Remember our deal, Marcus. Not a word to anyone, not even your family." Dumbledore said as Marcus nodded before leaving the room._

"_So, Ronald Weasley, the new Seer?" Kingsley said with a bewildered look at Dumbledore. "Why is the first time I'm hearing about this?"_

"_Because, Kingsley, Ron's abilities didn't manifest until the start of his sixth year," Dumbledore replied coolly. "He is, after all, becoming a man and such abilities take time."_

"_Better than Trelawney, I suppose." Kingsley chuckled. "So, you're the new Chosen One," Kingsley said as Ron grimaced at the nickname. _

_I am not like Potter!_

"_Relax, kid," Kingsley said with a laugh, noticing Ron's face. "I must say I haven't heard much about you though I do know your brothers, particularly Bill who works as a Curse-Breaker for us and Percy in the Ministry. I always thought you would take after the latter. But then again, I knew your parents. Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree, after all."_

"_I…suppose?" Ron stammered, unsure of what to say._

"_We could use you in our department. Once this is all over, I could put in a good word."_

"_You mean it?!" Ron cried as a smile broke onto his face. "I can be an Auror?!"_

"_So long as you meet our requirements, I'll put in a good word," Kingsley said as Ron nearly swooned on the spot._

"_Easy now, Kingsley," Dumbledore spoke as Ron almost forgot about his Headmaster's presence. "I would think that before Ron decides on his future, we need to settle a few things first."_

"_Of course, Albus. So I supposed I'm to keep the boy secret as well." Kingsley said as Dumbledore nodded. "Well then, consider it done. I have a few Death Eaters to interrogate so gentleman, if you would excuse me. It's good to meet you, Ronald."_

"_Thank you, Sir!" Ron exclaimed as Kingsley gave him a smile before exiting the room._

"_Quite an impression you've made there, Ronald." Dumbledore chuckled._

"_An Auror! I can be an Auror!" Ron cried._

"_Is that like a dream of yours?" Dumbledore said as Ron turned his attention to the wizard who gave him a knowing look._

"_Yes! I've always dream….Wait." Ron said as he stared curiously at Dumbledore. "You know! How did you…"_

"_I have my sources," Dumbledore replied as Ron suddenly scowled. "What's wrong?"_

"_I'm not a Chosen One," Ron said adamantly as Dumbledore gave him a puzzled look. "Look, I'm okay with the whole Seer thing if it keeps my cover but I'm not the Chosen One. I'm not some bloody hero, okay?"_

"_Of course not!" Dumbledore remarked out loud. "You're a weapon."_

_A weapon?! Ron did not like the sound of that. Still, with the knowledge that he might be an Auror fresh on his mind, Ron was more than willing to move on._

"_So, Sir, I guess you believe me now?" Ron asked as Dumbledore's face turned serious._

"_Yes, I do," Dumbledore said gravely. "Ron, this has to stay between us. You must not tell a single soul about what you know, do you understand?"_

"_Of course," Ron replied, slightly intimidated by the older wizard. "So what is going on?"_

_Dumbledore's smile returned as he let out a tired sigh. "Tomorrow morning, meet me at my office. I will explain things then. There are still aspects that I do not understand but I assure you, tomorrow, you will have the answers you seek."_

"_Okay," Ron said, slightly baffled by the wizard. "So why call me here then? Just to get Mister Abbott to thank me? Or to introduce me to Kingsley?"_

"_Both. But the latter did surprise me a little." Dumbledore chuckled as the pair exited the room. Turning down the corridor, they could see the Abbott family huddled on a bench. Ron stared at young Hannah, who sat in between her parents, both of whom hugged her as their heads rested on each other. _

_Something was stirring inside of Ron as he felt a tug deep within his chest. The sight of the Abbott family, all safe and sound did bring him joy at having helped to accomplish that but also it brought about pain. For a moment, Ron pictured the faces of his dead parents, both of whom could never sit that close to Ron, comforting him as Hannah's parents were doing._

"_I have to go," Ron said as he took off, not wanting Dumbledore to see that his eyes were glistening. He stared at the ground as he walked, his tears streaking down his cheek. For a moment, Ron considered going to Ginny, a silver lining to having time travelled back, and yet, he felt an overwhelming desire to be alone. Entering the Slytherin dormitory, Ron ignored the cries and calls of his friends as he made his way into his room. Throwing himself onto his bed and closing the curtains, Ron let the tears drop freely around him as he started to weep._

"_Ron, you okay?" Draco called out from behind the curtain. Ron hastily wiped his tears away as he reached, wanting to pull the curtains open. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. Ron could make out the shadow of Draco, who seemed to reach for the curtains, only to come to the same conclusion as he made._

"_Whenever you're ready, I'm here for you, mate," Draco whispered before walking away. Now, all alone, Ron reached for his pillow. Putting his hand inside its covers, Ron removed a picture from which he had placed since the first day he came to Hogwarts._

_A tall, fair-skinned wizard with sparkling green eyes, a slight stomach, and red hair stood next to a much shorter, plump red-haired woman with bright brown eyes and similarly fair skin in a field next to a rickety, old house. Ron had stared at this picture many times, the pair constantly laughing, kissing, smiling and waving at him as they frolicked about in the picture had given him many a laugh and often brought a smile to his face. Yet today, it only brought about a sense of longing as Ron felt the pain pierce through his heart._

_Feeling his eyelids starting to droop, Ron rested his head on the pillow, the picture next to him as he laid down to sleep. As he slept, images of the Weasley children, from Ron and Ginny in their Hogwarts uniform to Bill and Charlie in their work clothes all laughing and mingling about as their parents watched with pride. Ron pictured his father showing off his latest Muggle contraption as his mother came over to pinch his cheeks before pressing her soft lips onto his. As one by one, the Weasley children start to disappear, Ron felt both his parents placing their hands on his shoulder._

"_We're so proud of you, son," Arthur said in a soft voice as Ron felt a squeeze on his shoulder._

"_We love you so, so much," Molly said as Ron turned to his mother, having to bend down as she placed a kiss on his forehead. "You're our darling baby boy."_

"_Mom…" Ron whispered, his voice breaking as Molly gave him a smile. "Mom, I…I wish you were here. I wish you were alive."_

"_Shhhhh, it's okay, Ronnie, it's okay," Molly whispered as she beamed at him. "We're always here with you, Ronald."_

"_Yes, Ron." His father spoke as Ron turned to him. "Just because we're gone, doesn't mean we're gone forever. We're always going to be part of who you are."_

"_I don't even know who you are," Ron said as Molly and Arthur looked at him sadly. "I mean, I know you're my parents but…I don't know who you are. I never got the chance…I never got to…Oh, fuck!"_

"_My, precious, baby boy," Molly whispered as she pulled a sobbing Ron into a tight hug as Arthur tapped her on her shoulder._

"_It's time," Arthur said as Molly pulled herself away. Ron could only stare as the pair stood in front of him._

"_Time? Time for what?"_

"_Time for you to get up, Ron."_

"_Get up?" Ron asked as Molly and Arthur disappeared from view. All Ron could see was darkness in front of him. As he frantically tried to move, Ron could hear a disembodied voice shout something familiar._

"_Wake up, you lazy oaf!"_

_Ron's eyes sprung open._

…_.._

"So you went back to that Sunday on the eighth of September?" Dumbledore remarked as Ron nodded.

"The first time that happened, I had no idea why. I thought it was a mistake, that maybe there was something I missed. So I followed what I did again, trying to see if it would work, if I could wake up the next day and everything would be as it should." Ron replied quietly as Dumbledore nodded.

"But it didn't, did it?" Dumbledore sighed. "It didn't change anything."

"No," Ron said as he suddenly glared at Dumbledore. "I even remember begging you to tell me what was going on but all you kept saying was that you were working on it. So when the cycle repeated itself once more, I had enough."

….

"_So, Sir, I guess you believe me now?" Ron asked as Dumbledore's face turned serious._

"_Yes, I do," Dumbledore said gravely. "Ron, this has to stay between us. You must not tell a single soul about what you know, do you understand?"_

"_I do. But there is something you need to know." Ron replied as he explained his situation. Dumbledore's eyes widened larger with every detail._

"_And that's why I can't wait for tomorrow," Ron exclaimed with as much force as he could muster. "I need to know. What is happening to me?"_

_Dumbledore looked uncertain for a moment before heaving a sigh._

"_Well, it appears that you're experiencing what is known as a time loop."_

"_Gee, that thought never occurred to me," Ron muttered sarcastically._

_Ignoring Ron, Dumbledore continued his explanation. "It seems that the concoction used to treat my arm must have splattered into the cup which you drank your tea in. You never had an allergic reaction to my tea, Ronald. If you can recall, the potion I used for my arm makes use of the Meduza, which reverts back to its younger form whenever it gets too old. When you drank the tea, the potion must have latched itself onto you, creating a form of bond between us."_

"_A bond? Like our lives are stuck together?" Ron asked, not following what Dumbledore was saying._

"_More like our souls. It seems that our souls have intertwined with each other, Ronald."_

"_So why am I back in the past?"_

"_Well, judging from the story you told me about what happened that night on the 30__th__ of June, I would say that when I was hit with the killing curse, it caused a reactive response from the potion. Since I was already dead, the potion worked its way on the other soul that was very much alive."_

"_Me," Ron exclaimed as Dumbledore nodded._

"_Since it couldn't affect me, it affected you. The potion, coupled with the time-travelling substance, launched you back to its original state with you, that is when you first reacted with it."_

"_I see," Ron replied as he scratched his head. "But why do I keep waking up back in the past?"_

"_I'm afraid, I'm not too certain of that yet," Dumbledore said. "I will need some time. In the meantime, why don't you try to see if you can stay awake till the next day? Maybe we just need to pass a certain time?"_

….

"But it didn't work," Ron said as Dumbledore nodded. "We tried everything. From me not seeing you on that particular date to even involving the Ministry in helping to save Mrs Abbott. But nothing worked. Each time, each day, every single time I slept, I would wake up back to where we started."

Dumbledore stared at the young wizard. There was a tone of resignation in his voice as Dumbledore looked deep into his tired, blue eyes. Ron had lived that moment countless of times and each time, he ended up back where he started. There was nothing Ron could have done, nothing at all except…

"Ronald, I'm so sorry," Dumbledore whispered as realisation dawned on him. "I'm so sorry."

Ron looked at Dumbledore with tears welling up in his eyes. "It was by accident. I was just so tired, so exhausted with the loops that I decided, well, to not do anything. Not tell you. Just live my life. And she died. She died because I was too tired to say anything."

"Ronald…" Dumbledore started, only to stop himself at the sight of Ron's raised hand.

"It all happened so fast. All I remember from that week was that I didn't tell you and that night, on the day that I was supposed to meet you in the classroom to see you, her father and Auror Shacklebolt, I went to bed instead. I woke up the next day and then, news filled the castle that Hannah lost her mother. I should have said something."

"You did, Ronald. You did so many times." Dumbledore replied as Ron shook his head.

"But she's gone, Dumbledore. She's gone and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. I tried to go back to that time, I tried to. But it didn't work. No matter what I did, no matter how far I went, nothing worked. Not even…"

"Not even what, Ronald?" Dumbledore asked as Ron stared at him. "Ronald, what did you do?"

"That," Ron said as he pointed to the necklace on the table. "It belongs to Malfoy."

"Yes, I know," Dumbledore replied. He could see a slight look of surprise in Ron's eyes for a moment before reverting back to its poignant gaze.

"I thought that if I got sick again, maybe even the slightest, I would have a chance to go back to the past. As you said, the potion would try to revert me back to an earlier state. And so, I went to find it, I took it and…I held on. Only thing was…I held on too long."

"You died!" Dumbledore gasped as Ron nodded. "What happened next?"

"I woke up. Only this time, it was back at the start of the day itself, not the eighth of September." Ron said as Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"So the potion brought you back to when you last slept, back to that moment before you died. That is…interesting." Dumbledore exclaimed. "I think I may have an idea of why that happened, Ronald."

"Okay, but I should probably tell you the rest of my story first," Ron said as Dumbledore nodded. "You see, once I realised I couldn't go back and I couldn't even die to change my fate, I decided to take things in a different direction. Use my powers for a different purpose."

"What was it?" Dumbledore asked as Ron gave him a sad smile.

…

_September 13__th,__ 1996_

"_Did you guys hear the news?" Blaise said as soon as Ron and Draco sat down at the Great Hall. Ron could see everyone discussing and chatting excitedly at the Slytherin table. It was the same for the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws but for the Hufflepuffs, the entire House seemed to be subdued. Ron stared at the empty seat at the Hufflepuff table where Hannah Abbott used to sit._

"_Everyone's heard of it," Pansy said as she and Daphne walked over towards the group. Tracey followed behind the pair before sitting next to Ron. Crabbe, Goyle, Bulstrode and Nott soon joined them as well._

"_Why attack the Abbotts? Aren't they Purebloods?" Daphne asked._

"_They were," Nott replied. "Right until Marcus Abbott decided to marry a Mudblood."_

_Everyone, with the exception of Ron, made faces at that remark._

"_Don't call her that," Ron whispered under his breath. Fortunately for him, no one was listening._

"_Hey, Malfoy!" _

_Draco and Ron turned to see Urquhart and Vaisey approaching them._

"_Come down to the pitch tomorrow. You too, Weasley. And you two." Urquhart said pointing to Crabbe and Goyle._

"_What for?" Malfoy asked._

"_Potter's having try-outs. I want to see who he's picking." Urquhart said as Ron grunted._

"_Waste of time if you ask me."_

"_I don't give a fuck what you think, Weasley." Urquhart snapped. "Rumour is your sister is trying out and by Merlin, sister or no sister, you better not let in any goals from her. That goes the same for you two idiots!" Urquhart said as he glared at Crabbe and Goyle._

"_Please, you think we don't have better things to do?" Draco cried. "Potter's gonna pick Weasley and Longbottom because they're his friends. Chances are Bell will be there too. Anyone else shouldn't bother us. Our team is miles better than they are."_

"_Maybe except for our Seeker," Vaisey exclaimed as he smirked at Malfoy. "What? You've never beaten Potter despite how many times you keep saying he sucks. Maybe you Malfoys are just full of shit."_

"_You watch your mouth, you half-blood git!" Draco growled as he stood to his feet._

_Vaisey sneered as he took a step towards Malfoy. "Or what? You're going to run off to daddy? Last I heard, he's rotting in a cell in Azkaban. Can't seem to do things right, not like the ones who took care of Mrs Abbott."_

"_Why don't you just fuck off?!" Ron roared as he stood to his feet, clenching his fists. Vaisey glared as he took a step, only to be held off by Urquhart who smirked at the pair._

"_Gentlemen, save it for the Quidditch. Good on you, Weasley. I like the intensity. See you guys at the pitch tomorrow." Urquhart said as he dragged Vaisey away._

"_Fucking prick," Ron growled as Draco echoed his sentiments. "Crabbe, Goyle, do us a favour. One of you hit a Bludger at him during training. Maybe that's the only way to get some sense knocked into him."_

_Draco laughed slightly as Crabbe and Goyle exchanged grins._

"_I don't see why Flint made Urquhart captain," Tracey said, eager to get on Ron's good side. "He's not even that good of a Chaser."_

"_He sucked Flint's balls, that's what I heard," Theo exclaimed as the girls looked disgusted while the boys sniggered. "What? It's true."_

"_So I guess tomorrow you'll be at the pitch?" Pansy asked Draco who exchanged a look with Ron._

"_No. I had work to do. Screw Urquhart." Draco replied._

"_You have to come up with a reason though," Pansy said thoughtfully. "You can't just skip it."_

"_Maybe I'll get detention," Draco replied._

"_Or maybe, you can say you're in mourning," Zabini said as he pointed to the Hufflepuff table. Two of Hannah's friends, Ernie Macmillan, and Susan Bones were sharing an embrace, the latter being comforted by the former. "I heard that some of the Hufflepuff students are allowed to skip classes and attend sessions with Madam Pomfrey."_

"_Do I look like I could pull something like that off, Zabini?" Draco retorted as Zabini smirked at him._

"_Yeah, I can see it now…Hi, Madam Pomfrey, I'm here because I miss my friend, Hannah. It's just…I can't believe they killed her Mudblood mother…Oops!" Zabini mocked as the entire group with the exception of Ron broke out in laughter._

"_Drop it," Ron said as he reached for a sandwich. "Let's just change topic or something."_

"_Awww, Weasley here feels sorry for Hannah." Theo mocked. "I don't blame him. Not seeing that pair of great tits would bother me too!" Theo laughed before being elbowed by Tracey._

"_You boys are disgusting."_

"_If you ask me, they were asking for it," Zabini said as Ron slammed his fist on the table, startling everybody._

"_What?!" Ron exclaimed in anger as he glared at Zabini who looked back at him in shock. "How could you say something like that?"_

"_Why the fuck not?!" Zabini replied, getting over the temporary shock of seeing Ron's reaction. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for poor lil' Hannah."_

"_She just lost her mother," Ron whispered angrily. "But how would you know? It's not like you've lost anyone close to you."_

"_To be honest, mate," Theo said with a laugh, hoping to defuse the tension. "Zabini has lost countless dads."_

"_That's because his mother kills them. We all know that. The entire magical community knows that!" Ron snapped._

"_At least my mother wouldn't resort to marrying a Mudblood." Zabini retorted hotly. "The Abbotts were a Pureblood family, one of the Sacred 28__th__ and Marcus just couldn't keep it in his pants, could he? Had to fuck a Mudblood. Well, I say he deserves it. Hannah deserves it. At least now they be better off without having to see that whor –"_

_Whatever Zabini was going to say next was anyone's guess, as Ron leapt to his feet before punching him across the table. Zabini crash to the floor, his faces a bloody mess as plates of food and goblets clattered to the floor. The entire Great Hall went quiet as all eyes stared at the Slytherin table._

"_What the fuck is your problem, Weasley?!" Theo roared as he went to the aid of Zabini. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"_

"_Don't you ever say something like that! Ever!" Ron roared. With the help of Theo, Zabini got back on his feet, his nose bleeding profusely but his eyes glaring daggers at Ron._

"_You filthy blood-traitor! What the fuck is wrong with you?"_

"_HER MOTHER DIED!" Ron roared. "And you're fucking taking piss out of it."_

"_Oh, and you feel bad for her?" Zabini exclaimed. "Take a look at that, people! Ron Weasley, the Slytherin Mudblood Lover!"_

"_Shut the fuck up, Zabini," Draco exclaimed as he grabbed at Ron's robes. "Go wash your face. Don't let your disgusting half-blood blood dirty our eating area!"_

"_Defending your cousin, eh Malfoy? Guess you're one as well, huh." Zabini cried as Draco took a step towards him._

"_I'll watch my mouth if I was you, Zabini. If my father is a Death Eater, I hate to see how he would react if he knew about what an idiotic half- blood tried to say about us." Without waiting for a reply, Draco turned to Ron as he whispered into his ear._

"_Snape's coming. Get out of here. I'll cover for you. Just go."_

_Ron nodded gratefully before making a beeline to the entrance of the Great Hall. He could see the Slytherin girls each staring at him in shock while on the other side of the room, Potter and his gang had equally puzzled looks. Not wanting to talk to anyone, Ron made a beeline back to his bedroom._

_As soon as he entered, Ron went straight for his chair, grabbing it by its handles and flinging it onto the floor. The impact shattered the chair into pieces as Ron went into a frenzied rage, smashing and kicking all of his items._

"_It's not my fault. It's not my fault." Ron heard himself saying. Despite that, his heart refused to believe it as his mind kept playing the scene of the Abbott family coming together and comforting each other. Hannah would never get to do that again, Ron thought bitterly. She's out of Hogwarts and I doubt she would ever come back._

_Marcus Abbott would be a broken man. Ron doubt that the emotional wizard would ever be the same again._

_A family destroyed in pieces._

_As for Violet…she would never get to see her daughter graduate. Never get to see her daughter take up a job. Never get to see Hannah get married. Never get to grow old and become a grandmother._

_All because she was a Mudblood._

_Ron grabbed his pillow and pulled out the photograph of his late parents._

"_IT'S NOT MY FUCKING FAULT!" Ron yelled at the photograph. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't want this! I couldn't save her, alright, no matter how many fucking times I tried to go back. I couldn't save her. So stop asking me too!" _

_In the heat of the moment, Ron crumpled the picture before flinging it onto his bed. Crashing on his mattress, Ron felt his face growing wetter by the second._

"_What am I supposed to do?"_

_Why was he feeling this way? He didn't care about Hannah before this. Hannah, as Theo and Zabini and the rest of them had pointed out, was just another witch, a disgrace to her house because of her mother. Prior to this, Ron would have done exactly as the rest did. Just ignore it, have a few laughs and think nothing of it. _

"_In the real world, people die and no matter how angry or how upset you feel, you can't change that." Ron thought. It was true, wasn't it? He was hung up over something he couldn't change, something that he should have just left alone. It wasn't like his life was all that secure. He had other concerns besides trying to save a dead woman. Concerns that he had pushed aside, for Dumbledore, for others._

_Is this my reward for trying to do something good? _

_Perhaps it was time to focus on reality, to focus on what still mattered to him. Ron thought of Ginny, one of two people whom he cared about. He should really just focus his attention on her. Sitting up onto his bed, Ron made up his mind. He would put all his attention on his loved ones, those who mattered to him and were still very much alive. He would need a plan to deal with Ginny and to come up with a way to get them to stay on talking terms. He would do anything to keep her safe._

_Eying the crumpled picture on his bed, Ron snatched at it before walking over to the window. Staring out into the dark night with nothing but the light from the stars and Hagrid's Hut, Ron decided on his new course of action. He couldn't be beholden onto the past any longer._

"_I'm sorry," Ron whispered to the wadded up picture. "But I'm done with the past. It's time to focus on what's important now."_

_With one last look at the photograph, Ron pulled back his arm and threw it out as far as he could. Watching it sail through the air before it disappeared from view, Ron vowed to himself to do what was necessary to protect those he loves, regardless of anything else. Good or bad. Right or easy. None of that mattered. Only Ginny and…_

"_Merlin, Ron, what the fuck?!"_

_Ron turned to see Draco gaping at the mess in the room._

"_Sorry, got carried away."_

_Draco waved a dismissive hand. "Eh, I've done worse. Besides, nothing a little Reparo Charm can't fix. But what the hell was that back there, mate? I mean, don't get me wrong, I've been meaning to punch Zabini for a while but it sounded like you actually felt sorry for Hannah's mother."_

"_I've just been going through some stuff," Ron said as Draco raised an eyebrow. "Relax, mate, don't worry. It's been taken care of."_

"_Well, luckily for you, Snape seems to be on your side when Zabini told him what he said about Hannah's mother. Who would have thought Snape would feel sorry for someone like that?"_

"_He's probably trying to get on your good side," Ron said as Draco nodded in agreement. _

"_That's true. Can't stand being dethroned by a younger, more good looking Death Eater." Draco said as Ron gave a laugh. "Anyways, I can't come down tomorrow so cover for me with Urquhart?"_

"_Always," Ron said as Draco beamed at him. From the corner of his eye, Ron stared at the brown package beside Draco's bed, picturing the contents that laid inside._

…

"So you decided to focus on what mattered to you," Dumbledore said as Ron nodded. "Draco and Ginny."

"Well, if you're dying at the end of the year," Ron replied calmly. "That means He will win and the Death Eaters would reign supreme. All I care about is protecting those close to me, by whatever means necessary."

"Survival of the fittest," Dumbledore replied. "How very Slytherin of you."

"What choice did I have?" Ron said as he stood to his feet. "I spend too much time trying to change the inevitable. It was time to accept it."

"So what did you have in mind for young Miss Weasley and Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked.

"My sister was easy," Ron explained as he stood up and started to pace in front of Dumbledore. "So long as she stayed away from Dean Thomas and didn't do anything drastic, I could protect her. All I needed to do was break them up and that, well, would come down to when I meet her later this year. Just have to do it nicely so no one walks away upset. At least that way, I can keep an eye on her."

"And Mr Malfoy?"

"Draco is much harder," Ron admitted. "At first, I thought of telling him about the time loops. About how you were inevitably going to die so he can relax on that front. I did convince him but you can probably guess what happened."

"You went back in time," Dumbledore replied.

"Yes. So I figured if I can't tell him, then all I have to do is help him." Ron explained. "You see, I know my cousin, and despite what he says, he's not a killer. Back in the original timeline, Draco told me about Bell and Longbottom and how even though, nothing happened to them, he did feel bad about it. So I decided to help him out."

"You tried to deliver the necklace yourself," Dumbledore said as Ron nodded. "But I take that it didn't work."

"Neither did me delivering the mulled mead. No matter what I did, I kept waking back up." Ron sighed. "Then I tried to intervene by helping Draco fix the Cabinets and again, I kept waking back up."

"I see."

"I even destroyed the Cabinets." Ron blurted out as he stopped pacing to stare at Dumbledore. "I mean, Draco only needed the Cabinets to find an escape route out of this castle once you were killed and yet, I kept waking up back in the past. So I had enough. I decided to tell Draco that you were dying, that I saw you use the potion and that despite the potion, you will not survive the year."

"And let me guess, you woke up in the past," Dumbledore replied as Ron nodded. Dumbledore studied the young wizard's face.

"Is that why you're here? You want me to convince Draco?"

"Yes," Ron replied with a stoic look on his face. "I want you to help me convince Draco. You owe me this, Dumbledore. You said so yourself."

"I see," Dumbledore said as his blue eyes twinkled from the light of the fireplace. "Well, Ronald. I would love to help you, believe me I would, but I can't. The minute I tell Draco, you will go back to the past without this entire conversation ever taking place."

"You don't know that!" Ron snapped as Dumbledore raised his hand.

"Actually, I do. You see, Ronald, I've already figured out what is happening to you."

"You have?!" Ron asked as he took his seat.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "Tell me, Ron, what do you know of time travel?"

"I've had experience." Ron said sarcastically as Dumbledore smiled at him.

"True but you don't understand it. You see, my former past counterpart did get it right. We are bonded by the potion and yes, you did travel in time. But time, you must understand, is quite fickle."

Dumbledore waved his wand as out of thin air, a chalkboard appeared in front of his desk. Dumbledore stood to his feet as he drew a straight line, placing the date he died on one end and the date Ron first woke up on the other.

"Now, what happened the first time around, my past self has already explained to you. Due to the unique nature and combination of the potion, the jellyfish and the time-turner liquid, you were sent back in time at the moment of my death as part of the defensive mechanism of the potion. Now, here is where it gets interesting."

Dumbledore drew a cross on the line and labelled it as Violet Abbott.

"Now it seemed that, when you first came back, you and my past self tried to intervene to prevent Violet's murder. In doing so, you created a temporary alternate timeline."

Dumbledore drew a line from the cross away from the original line. Turning around, Ron could see Dumbledore giving him a sympathetic look.

"Unfortunately for you, you've learnt the hard way about one of the absolute rules regarding time travel. You see, Ron, as long as a person travels back in time, he or she will most definitely create a form of change that otherwise didn't exist in the previous timeline. Take for example, if I were to travel back ten hours today and stood in the corner of my empty office for a second and then travel back, what changes would I have caused?"

"I don't know," Ron replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "Did you spit or something?"

Dumbledore gave a laugh. "Precisely. Or more likely, the dust that was on the floor would have been disturbed by my presence. But such changes do not alter the timeline because their impact is minimal. And that's the thing, we are allowed to travel back in time but only if our impact on time does not change the timeline drastically. In other words, one cannot alter the original timeline."

"So what are you saying?"

"Mrs Abbott was always supposed to die. It had already happened and changing it would have impacted on the timeline so greatly that an alternate one had to be made. And that, Ronald, is what cannot exist. An alternate timeline _cannot_ exist." Dumbledore said as he wiped away the alternate timeline from the board.

"So when I kept waking up back at the hospital wing…" Ron spoke.

"It was Time's way of telling you that you cannot change the past," Dumbledore said with a smile. "You can alter it slightly if the impact is minimal but if the impact alters the timeline, then time will simply reset itself for you. If we could change the past, don't you think someone would have time travelled back to when Voldemort wasn't as powerful and tried to kill him?"

"So that's what's happening to me. I keep resetting." Ron said as Dumbledore nodded. "Wait…that also means that…Hannah's mother…"

"There was nothing you could have done," Dumbledore replied gently. "Her death was inevitable. Which is why when you did not inform me about what was to happen, nothing did and so Time saw no reason to reset you back to that previous moment in the hospital wing. Violet Abbott was too important a milestone in the timeline."

"Are there any other milestones I should know of?"

Dumbledore paused for a moment before placing crosses on the original timeline. "Well, that is up to Time to decide. But we already know some of it. This necklace incident. The poisoned mull mead. The Cabinets. It seems that anything to do with Draco Malfoy would be off-limits. It seems that we have to play by Time's rules, right until we get to that moment in the Astronomy Tower."

"But would that end the time loop?" Ron asked excitedly. "Would that mean that I won't be travelling back in time?"

Dumbledore gave Ron a strange look as he waved his wand, the chalkboard disappearing from behind him.

"Did you say that my past self referred to you as a weapon?" Dumbledore asked.

"Err…yeah?" Ron said, sounding confused. "Why are you asking that?"

"Ronald, this ability you have. It isn't a curse." Dumbledore said as his blue eyes twinkled brightly. "It's a gift. Used properly and we all might stand a better chance. I will need your help, Ronald Weasley."

"With what exactly?" Ron asked as Dumbledore gave him a look of incredulity.

"Why, winning the war, of course."

…..

As Ron stepped out into the Hogwarts grounds, he could see that evening had soon arrived. A rumbling in his stomach reminded him of his need for food. Heaving a sigh, Ron decided to take a walk around the castle, the cold air filling his lungs as he tugged on his robes. Luckily for him, it was a Saturday which meant that he could easily explain his absence to Draco or Pansy by saying he was taking a fly around the gardens.

If Ron was being honest, he was not proud of his answer to Dumbledore. But it had to be done. A war was coming, if not already here, and Ron needed to pick a side. Considering what was to come, Ron could only see one option in front of him, one he had made about a month ago in another time.

"_So that's it?" Ron said as soon as he and Dumbledore left the Pensieve. "You think he made a Horcrux?_

"_No, Ronald," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I think he made Horcruxes."_

_Ron looked startled for a moment. "More than one? But…but…what are Horcruxes?"_

"_I'm afraid, Ronald, I cannot tell you more unless you agree to help me out."_

"_Help you, help you with what exactly?" Ron asked as he crossed his arms._

"_Defeating Lord Voldemort once and for all."_

"_You mean, killing him?"_

"_Yes," Dumbledore said grimly._

"_Wouldn't that change the timeline?" Ron asked as Dumbledore shook his head._

"_Not if you kill him after I'm dead."_

_Ron couldn't believe his ears. "Are you insane?! How am I supposed to kill the Dark Lord?!"_

"_It won't be you who hits the killing blow, Ronald but you would be helping Mr Potter and the community tremendously," Dumbledore said as Ron gaped at him._

"_Harry's supposed to kill Voldemort?! How?!"_

"_That is between me and Harry, I'm afraid," Dumbledore said as Ron stared at him blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter._

"_I assure you, Mr Weasley, I am not joking," Dumbledore replied in such a serious tone that Ron shut up instantly. "You have, within your power, an ability sought by Voldemort himself. You cannot die this year, Ronald. Time will not let you as evident by when you held on to the necklace. You can fix any mistake you've made simply by turning back. Do not let these powers go to waste."_

"_I'm not," Ron said with a smirk. "I was thinking of using them…for exams…and Quidditch."_

_Dumbledore gave Ron a sad smile. "While I may understand the appeal of that, there are more pressing matters in the world. So help me, Ronald, help me stop him. Be a hero."_

_Ron stared at Dumbledore for a long moment._

"_No."_

_Dumbledore gave a start. "Why not, Mr Weasley? Or are you for His side?" Dumbledore asked as unknown to Ron, he gripped his wand ever so slightly. Dumbledore silently reminded himself that Ronald Weasley was an enigma to him, a wizard raised by the Malfoys, one of the darkest families within the community._

_Ron gave a laugh. "You think this is about pureblood supremacy?! This is about survival, Dumbledore! Didn't you recall me telling you that there were only two people that mattered to me, two people who mean everything to me!"_

"_Your sister and Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore replied. "But surely you must see how defeating Voldemort would help their situation?"_

"_You mean, IF, we defeat Him," Ron exclaimed as he glared at his Headmaster. "The only reason why the Dark Lord hasn't taken over the world is because of you. With you out of the way, there is nothing that will stop him. And you believe in Potter?! Of all people?!"_

"_Harry is the only one who can."_

"_Then we're fucked."_

"_Mr Weasley, language, please…"_

"_Language?!" Ron exclaimed, cutting Dumbledore off. The nerve of the old man! "You're the one putting your faith in an underaged wizard against the most powerful sorcerer of all time and you're telling me to watch my language?! If I help you out, then that means I become a traitor and anyone close to me will get punished! Let's face it, without you around, he will win. And at least, as a Slytherin and a Pureblood, I will know how to survive in that world and how to take care of Draco and Ginny."_

"_I can't say much for Mr Malfoy, but your sister…"_

"_You forget that I can time travel?" Ron barked. "All I have to do is keep repeating the cycles, making sure my sister is safe using whatever means at my disposal. Even if it means having to keep her safe far away from here. And as for Draco, being a Death Eater would assure me that he would still be alive."_

"_Ronald Weasley," Dumbledore spoke, at last, his voice trembling with every word. "I assure you that if Lord Voldemort indeed rises in power, then your sister and Draco will never be safe. Your sister will keep fighting on because she believes in doing what is right and Draco, well Draco, will always have to watch his step so as not to anger Voldemort. Sooner or later, they will be punished as well. Not to mention, the thousands of witches, wizards and innocent lives that will be lost in this war. You can save them all, Ronald."_

"_Just like Mrs Abbott?" Ron said as he shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, the odds would still not be in our favour. It's like playing chess without your most powerful pieces. No, Professor, I'm sorry. But I have to think about my family now."_

"_Ronald, please. I assure you that if you help me, we would stand a much better chance of winning."_

"_I'm sorry, Professor," Ron said as he stared at Dumbledore poignantly. "But last time my family followed your plans, I lost my parents. I don't have faith in you, Dumbledore."_

_The words hit Dumbledore like a brick as the old wizard felt a sharp pain pierce through his heart. For a moment, he found himself back at Ariana's funeral where his younger brother, Aberforth, threw a punch at his face. Staring at the redhead in front of him, Dumbledore felt a wave of guilt rushing over him._

"_May I be excused, Headmaster?" Ron asked as Dumbledore nodded. As Ron made his way to the door, a thought struck Dumbledore as he called out to Ron._

"_Ronald," Dumbledore spoke as Ron turned around. "The key to ending the time loop is to do…nothing. Let the same events as the previous timeline unfold."_

"_Okay…" Ronald said with an astonished look on his face. "But why are you telling me this? Or is this to guilt me into helping you?"_

"_No guilt, I swear," Dumbledore said as he raised both hands in the air. "Ron, I know that this is difficult for you to understand but please hear me out before you fall asleep tonight. I'm not a perfect man, Ronald, I've made mistakes. And because of who I am, the consequences from my mistakes tend to be more severe. I know you think that without me, it is futile to fight and while that may look so, you cannot be further from the truth. I didn't stand a chance of stopping Voldemort back when he was in power. Nothing I did stopped him until a young baby boy came about and did what I could not do. And here we are once again, Lord Voldemort is on the rise and once again, fate has shown me that it is not me who will bring his downfall."_

_Dumbledore placed a hand on Ron's shoulder before continuing to speak._

"_When I can look at you, I see a boy who underestimates himself greatly. Who doesn't see what I see. That deep down, he is a good man. A good man who nearly went to Gryffindor because he possessed all the traits that Gryffindor believed in. A man who would sacrifice himself for his cousin, who would refuse to let anyone hurt his sister and who would even try on countless occasions to save a stranger. I believe you, Ronald, are the person destined to help Harry in defeating Lord Voldemort. I believe that with you, and only with you, do we stand a chance of winning. You're a good person, Ronald Weasley."_

_Ron snorted at the words as Dumbledore smiled sadly at him._

"_But it doesn't matter what I believe. It doesn't matter because, in the end, this is your choice. I've been trying to control your life ever since the first day and look where that's got us. Everything that happens now is in your hands. I have faith in you, Ronald Weasley."_

"Hey, Ronald."

The dreamy voice dragged Ron out of his thoughts as he saw Luna Lovegood seated in one of the stone benches on the Hogwarts grounds. Her wand was lit as Luna stared at the empty space in front of her, the bacon sandwiches by her side forgotten as she seemed focused on looking at something.

"Hey there, Lovegood," Ron spoke. On any other day, he would have walked past Luna without so much as acknowledging her presence but Ron needed to get his mind off Dumbledore. Deciding that Luna would be at the very least, a good distraction for him, Ron took a seat next to the witch.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked as Luna gave a sigh.

"I thought I saw a family of Blibbering Humdingers. Must have been a false alarm." Luna replied, her voice sounding distant. Ron snuck a glance at the bacon sandwiches next to her, his stomach growling at the sight of them.

"You can have them if you like," Luna spoke, though she did not turn to him. "I had my fill anyways."

"Thank you," Ron said as he gratefully took a bite on one of the sandwiches. The sweet taste of bacon filled his lips as Ron let out a grateful sigh as Luna gave a giggle.

"You're hungry," Luna remarked with as dirty-blonde haired witch stared back at him with her silvery-white eyes. The longer he stared at her, the more uncomfortable Ron felt. He could recall calling her names as the strange Ravenclaw walked down the hall. Her dreamy-like state would often irked Pansy the most as despite the constant taunts and jeers by his housemate, Luna appeared unaffected by it.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Ron said as he placed the empty sandwich wrappers into his pocket.

"It's okay," Luna said as she started to hum. "You needed it. Besides, I can always get more from the elves."

"Elves, huh? You sneak food from the kitchens too?" Ron exclaimed as Luna gave a laugh.

"No. It's their way of thanking me for helping get rid of some of the clothing. Poor Hermione." Luna said.

"Granger?"

"Sometimes, she can be a little bossy," Luna said as Ron nodded. "She wants to free the elves so she's been leaving behind clothing down in the kitchen in the hopes that one of them would pick it up. I want to tell her that the elves consider it an insult but that would hurt her feelings."

"Serves her right." Ron scoffed. "Helping elves? What a load of dung."

"That's quite unkind of you to say. Hermione's heart is in the right place. She just doesn't know how to do it." Luna said as Ron stared at her.

"She wants to free elves, Luna. Elves!"

"Why shouldn't elves be free, Ron?"

"Because…" Ron spluttered. "They're elves!"

"I see," Luna said as she leaned into him, her face inches away from Ron. "I guess you and Hermione do have differences, after all."

"You thought I'm like Granger?!" Ron said with a scowl on his face. "I'm nothing like Granger!"

"Well, you both would do anything for your best friends, you take care of the people you love and you're both stubborn, strong-headed people," Luna spoke as if she was explaining an answer in class.

"Believe me, we are not the _same_," Ron said, emphasizing his last word.

"Pity. You two would make a good couple."

Ron nearly choked at the mention of this statement.

"_Couple?"_ Ron said, in disgust. "You must be loony!"

"Then why did you kiss her?"

"I didn't kis…Wait?!" Ron half-yelled as he stood to his feet. "You knew about that?!" as Luna burst into giggles.

"You look like the backside of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!" Luna laughed as Ron stared wordlessly at her. "Yes, I did see the picture. Your sister showed it to me."

"Who else has seen it?!" Ron demanded as he made a mental note to confront Hermione.

"Only myself, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Neville….I think." Luna said as she stared at him. "You know, I wouldn't mind kissing you myself."

"Luna…I…err….Arghh!" Ron cried as he started to pace in front of her, cursing under his breath.

"Ron, don't move!" Luna cried suddenly as Ron was startled by the witch leaping in front of him, her nose nearly touching his, only for her face to drop as she looked away.

"Luna, I don't want to kiss you!" Ron cried as he took a step back as Luna shook her head.

"No, Ron, I thought I saw a Humdinger. But not the Blibbering kind. It was a Sparkling Humdinger."

"What the hell is a Humdinger?!" Ron said before shaking his head. "You know what? Never mind! I need to go anyways."

"Do you really?" Luna sighed as she smiled at him. "I like talking to you. You're nice."

Ron snorted as he straightened his robes. "Luna, in case you've forgotten, you and I aren't friends. You're friends with Potter and Granger."

"So?"

"So we can't be friends!"

"That's just a silly thing to say. You're nice to your sister and she's friends with Harry and Hermione."

"That's because she's my sister. I love her." Ron said as Luna shook her head.

"You care about her but you don't love her, Ron."

"What do you mean?!" Ron snapped as he glared at Luna.

"Well, if you love her, why do you keep insulting her friends? They're her family, Ron." Luna said as Ron snorted.

"They're not her family. I'm her family."

Luna shook her head. "Family are people who care about you and love you unconditionally. But they're also people who want what is best for you and support you whenever they can. You say you love her but you don't support her beliefs. You didn't support her when she wanted to follow us to the Department of Mysteries earlier this year."

"She could have been killed!" Ron cried. "Potter nearly got my sister killed!"

"She chose to go, Ron."

"Then, the more I have to protect her, especially with the war that is coming." Ron sighed. "I can't lose her, Luna. Ginny's everything to me."

"But you already have," Luna whispered as she placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Ginny is going to help Harry no matter what you do or say to her."

"But she'll die," Ron whispered. "And you'll die too, Luna. The Dark Lord is going to win."

"Maybe," Luna replied as she gave a shrug. "But Harry's going to try to stop him, I know that. And Ginny, Hermione, Neville and I will do whatever we can to help him, no matter what."

"What's with you Gryffindors?!" Ron barked in frustration. "Do you all have a death wish or something?"

"I'm a Ravenclaw," Luna replied though Ron ignored her.

"I'm just trying to keep her safe, Luna." Ron cried exasperatedly as Luna stared at him with a confused look on her face.

"How can you keep her safe if You-know-who wins? Wouldn't she always be in danger?" Luna replied. "She's chosen her side, Ron, a long time ago.

Ron sat back on the bench as he buried his face into his hands. He recalled how stubborn Ginny was when she defied him to go to the Ministry with the DA. It seems that no matter what he did, Ginny would always be in danger. _I'll just have to convince her, don't I? Maybe I'll tell her truth?_ Ron thought before snorting out loud. He knew his sister. Other than using the Imperius Curse, Ron doubt he would be able to prevent Ginny from doing anything she wanted to do.

_No matter what, I have to protect Ginny_

_I have to protect Draco_

Composing himself, Ron stood to his feet and straightened his robes before turning to Luna.

"Thanks, Luna. I'm going to leave. There's something I need to do."

"Oh, where are you headed to?" Luna asked.

"Just going to the seventh floor." Ron sighed. To his surprise, Luna stood to her feet.

"I'll come with you. I have to get back to my dormitory anyways." Luna said as she and Ron walked towards the Entrance Hall.

"Don't you want to stay? See your Humblingers or something?" Ron asked as Luna gave a giggle.

"Blibbering Humdingers, Ronald and no, I don't think I'll catch any. None of them will show up if a Sparkling Humdinger appears and it seems that the creature is attracted to you."

Ron decided to play along. "Why would the creature be attracted to me?"

"I don't know," Luna said as she gave a shrug. "No one had seen one in centuries, apparently. It's only back in medieval times when my father said they would appear but they can be very tricky especially their ability to stay out of sight. Father says they're only attracted to a certain type of people."

"Which type?" Ron asked, humouring Luna a little further as she gave him an odd look.

"Knights."

…..

"A Horcrux is a word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul."

"I don't quite follow…" Ron said as Dumbledore raised his hand. Ron could see from the wizard's face that he quite detested talking about it.

"A Horcrux is created when a person splits their soul and hide that part inside an object. That way, should one be attacked or destroyed, one cannot die for a part of their soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But to exist in such form is a horrifying thought indeed."

"But that would mean that a person would be…immortal," Ron whispered as his eyes lit up. _Bloody Hell!_

"In essence, yes. But the person would have paid a terrible price. The only way to split one's soul is to commit the most supreme act of evil. Murder. Killing rips the soul apart." Dumbledore explained.

"Wait…so that means…He's…_immortal?_" Ron said as his mind let out a mental groan. _Great! This just keeps getting better and better._

"So long as he has his Horcruxes, Voldemort cannot die," Dumbledore replied.

"Wait…Horcruxes? As in more than one?!"

"Well, if my theory is proven, I would have to say…there are seven."

"Fuck me!" Ron cried as Dumbledore frowned at his use of language. "Sorry," Ron replied instantly as he tried to compose himself. "But destroying one Horcrux, let alone seven."

"I am glad to see you appreciate the magnitude of the problem," said Dumbledore calmly. "But firstly, no, Ron, not seven Horcruxes: six. The seventh part of his soul, however maimed, resides inside his regenerated body. That was the part of him that lived a spectral existence for so many years during his exile; without that, he has no self at all. That seventh piece of soul will be the last that anybody wishing to kill Voldemort must attack — the piece that lives in his body."

"Okay, so we have six?" Ron exclaimed as Dumbledore smiled at him.

"Ronald, you need to understand something about Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort liked to collect trophies, and he preferred objects with a powerful magical history. His pride, his belief in his own superiority, his determination to carve for himself a startling place in magical history; these things, suggest to me that Voldemort would have chosen his Horcruxes with some care, favouring objects worthy of the honour."

Dumbledore raised his hand. "Two of the Horcruxes have already been taken care of. The first would be Marvolo Gaunt's ring in which I have destroyed. The second is a diary belonging to Lord Voldemort. Both items have now been destroyed."

"How did you destroy these Horcruxes?"

"The ring was destroyed by me during my visit to the Gaunt Shack. It had a terrible curse upon it too. Had it not been — forgive me the lack of seemly modesty — for my own prodigious skill, and for Professor Snape's timely action when I returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, I might not have lived to tell the tale. However, a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort's soul. The ring is no longer a Horcrux."

"So that's why you needed the potion!" Ron said as he eyed Dumbledore's blackened hand. "Okay, what about the diary? How was it destroyed?"

The question seemed to unnerve Dumbledore as the Headmaster hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "It's a long story but rest assured, the diary is gone. And with that, only four Horcruxes remain. Now, remember, Lord Voldemort liked to keep trophies. Can you recall from the memories any items which might fit this description?"

"The locket!" Ron exclaimed loudly, "Hufflepuff's cup!"

"Yes," Dumbledore said, smiling, "I would be prepared to bet — perhaps not my other hand — but a couple of fingers, that they became Horcruxes three and four. The remaining two, assuming again that he created a total of six, are more of a problem, but I will hazard a guess that, having secured objects from Hufflepuff and Slytherin, he set out to track down objects owned by Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Four objects from the four founders would, I am sure, have exerted a powerful pull over Voldemort's imagination. I cannot answer for whether he ever managed to find anything of Ravenclaw's. I am confident, however, that the only known relic of Gryffindor remains safe."

Dumbledore pointed his blackened fingers to the wall behind him, where a ruby-encrusted sword reposed within a glass case. Ron gave a whistle. He had seen pictures of it before in the Malfoy Library. _The Sword of Gryffindor._

"Do you think that's why he really wanted to come back to Hogwarts, sir?" Ron said as he recalled the memory of Voldemort's visit to the castle. "To try and find something from one of the other founders?"

"My thoughts precisely," Dumbledore said. "But unfortunately, that does not advance us much further, for he was turned away, or so I believe, without the chance to search the school. I am forced to conclude that he never fulfilled his ambition of collecting four founders' objects. He definitely had two — he may have found three — that is the best we can do for now."

"Even if he got something of Ravenclaw's or of Gryffindor's, that leaves a sixth Horcrux," Ron said, counting on his fingers. "Unless he's got both?"

"I don't think so," said Dumbledore. "I think I know what the sixth Horcrux is. I believe it's his pet snake, Nagini?"

"The snake?" Ron said, startled. "You can use animals as Horcruxes?"

"Well, it is inadvisable to do so," said Dumbledore, "because to confide a part of your soul to something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business. However, if my calculations are correct, Voldemort was still at least one Horcrux short of his goal of six when he first fell. But nonetheless, I believe Nagini is the six Horcrux."

"Okay, so what do you want me to do?" Ron asked as Dumbledore beamed at him. From under his desk, Dumbledore pulled out a bag.

"Here," Dumbledore said. "Inside, you will find copies of my memories as well as notes and articles about Voldemort's past history. What I need you to do is help me find them. Find the Horcruxes, Ronald, and destroy them except for the last one, the one that resides in Voldemort himself."

"So you want me to look for the locket, the cup, an unknown Horcrux and Voldemort's snake?!" Ron cried incredulously.

"Perhaps you may leave Nagini out of it," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Just three Horcruxes. Look into his past, find them and destroy them."

Ron took the bag from Dumbledore. "You know this is a suicide mission, right?"

"Luckily for us, you cannot die." Dumbledore chuckled as Ron scowled a little before a thought occurred to him.

"Wish I didn't have to work at this alone," Ron grumbled before catching the expression on Dumbledore's face. "What?"

"There is someone whom can help you. I've given it much thought and I believe she can be of much assistance to your mission."

"Who?"

"Miss Hermione Granger."

Ron nearly fell off his chair. "Granger?! Why her, of all people?"

"Well," Dumbledore explained as he smiled at Ron. "You see, I intend to inform Harry of the Horcruxes soon during the year. I would guess that he would share that information with Mr Longbottom and Miss Granger. Now, if you recall the timeline, you would note that there are certain events in which you cannot change and I believe that if we choose to involve Harry this early, it would be detrimental. Likewise, for Mr Longbottom, his incident with the poisoned mead would also make him unsuitable for this task. In which case, that leaves us with Miss Granger. I myself cannot get involved as I would need to play my part in order for the timeline to remain intact."

"But…Granger…"

"Is a very resourceful witch who will no doubt help you with her research. As an added bonus, I've decided to recognise her organisation, the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, as an official club within the school. Organised clubs, such as the Gobstones, are permitted to leave school grounds for official school business and since Miss Granger is of age, I can waiver off the need for a professor to be present."

Ron stared blankly at Dumbledore. "You want me to join SPEW?!"

"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "And you will need to convince Miss Granger on your own accord. I fear that should I force her on my part, it would affect the timeline as well. Being of age, Miss Granger is out of the Trace and that should help you tremendously in your mission."

"I rather do this alone," Ron grumbled as Dumbledore offered him a sympathetic look.

"No one can survive in this world without help, Ronald."

"You do realise you're asking me to befriend not just a Gryffindor but Hermione Granger herself?" Ron cried as Dumbledore gave a laugh.

"You know what they say," Dumbledore exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

….

**October 13, 1996**

Though he felt sore throughout his body, Ron was grateful for Urquhart's training session. The harsh training had prompted Ron to take a shower before throwing himself to sleep for a short nap. Waking up just a few hours before dinner, Ron made an excuse with Draco and his friends to go to the library where he was sure a certain bushy-haired witch was.

The nap was his contingency plan as just in case things didn't go according to plan, Ron would be more than prepared to jump out a window so as to restart back in an hour. He didn't quite fancy having to spend days trying to convince Hermione.

As he entered the library, his eyes locked upon the quartet of Potter, Granger, Longbottom and his sister gathered around the desk. For a moment, Ron wondered how he would get Granger alone. He forced a group of first-years to abandon a desk that kept the group within sight as Ron hid behind a large book.

As his mind delved into the different plans to separate Granger from her friends, it seemed that fate was on his side. His sister soon stifled a yawn as she stood to his feet, pleading for the group to follow her out for a fly at the Quidditch Pitch. Despite Granger chastising, the other three members began packing their things before leaving.

Ron shut his eyes as he took a deep breath. Opening them, he was shocked to see that the table was empty.

Rushing to the table, Ron peered down the aisles of the library. _She must be getting a book or something_ Ron thought as he grumbled at the prospect of having to hunt her down. Ron soon made his way through each shelf, peering in each lane to see if he could find her.

"Where the bloody hell is she?!" Ron muttered as he reached the last stack of shelves at the dark, isolated part of the library. Cursing under his breath, Ron turned around before giving a yelp. Standing behind him was a glaring Hermione whose wand, Ron noticed, was out in her hand.

"Why are you spying on me?!" Hermione snapped as Ron's shock of seeing the witch began to subside. Ron gave a scoff as he sneered at Hermione.

"Spying on you? You're not that good to look at, Granger."

"Oh please." Hermione spat. "I saw you enter the library and how you tried to hide behind that book. You were spying on us. Why? What have you got up your sleeve?"

"Listen, Granger," Ron said as he grew weary of their conversation already. "I wasn't spying on you, but I do need your help."

"Hah! That's rich." Hermione said derisively. "What could Ronald Weasley possibly want from me?"

"Spew."

"You're disgusting!"

"No, not spew! S.P.E.W!" Ron said as Hermione looked shocked. "Listen, I know this may be hard to believe but I want to join your cause. I want to be part of your club. I've even asked Dumbledore to make the club official and I want in. So what do you say? Can I join?"

Hermione gaped blankly at Ron.

"Hello, Granger! Are you there?"

"You want to join S.P.E.W?"

"Yes."

"You, you want to join?!"

"Yes!"

"Join S.P.E.W!"

"Oh, bloody hell! Yes, you git! I want to join!" Ron growled in frustration. "So are you going to waste your breath asking me again or will you let me join your idiotic, stupid club?!"

Hermione stared blankly at Ron for a moment before a smile crossed her lips. Ron blew a sigh of relief.

_Thank Merlin! Now that wasn't so –_

WHACK!

_Shit!_

…

**So that's it for this chapter. I promise the next one won't take as long. I will try to get it up ASAP. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi there! I was just so touched by all the reviews and well-wishes that I started working on this chapter as soon as possible. And so, instead of having to wait a week, here is chapter four, thanks to all of you! **

**Now, as I mentioned previously, this story is inspired by the movie EOT and the anime that the movie was based on. However, unlike the movie where the time loops occurred within a day, I couldn't put the same formula into this one as both Ron and Hermione despised each other right now and so, I adapted it into this one. Granted, it can be a little confusing at times but don't worry, as the chapters go by, you will get the gist of it.**

**It is important to note, however, that although they have certain canon qualities, these are not canon Ron and Hermione. I don't want to rush their relationship so I'm going to portray as realistically as I possibly can. Please don't be turned off by their character traits, remember, everything changes over time…ha-ha…**

**Please keep your reviews coming! I love reviews! They bring me joy so please write if you can! **

**So without further ado, enjoy this chapter and thanks for sticking around!**

**CHAPTER 4: SPEW YOUR HEART OUT**

**October 13****th****, 1996**

"Harry, Malfoy wasn't in Hogsmeade!" Hermione whispered for what might be the thousandth time as Harry shot her a glare. "Honestly, if you intend on talking about Malfoy instead of working on your Charms essay, then I don't see why you're here in the first place."

"Oh, come off it, Hermione!" Ginny said before Harry could retort. "We've been studying here for hours. At this point, I rather talk about anything other than Goblin rebellions. My mind is going to explode."

"I heard Katie's going to be alright. That's good news." Neville interjected. "But it seems no one besides us and Leanne really knows what happened to Katie."

"And Malfoy, don't forget Malfoy," Harry said adamantly as Hermione and Neville sighed in unison.

"I mean it could be Malfoy…" Ginny said as Hermione and Neville launched hushed protests.

"Really, Ginny?"

"Are you serious –"

"Why are you so certain that Draco isn't involved, Hermione?" Harry asked as Hermione rolled her eyes. "You were in the shop! You heard what Borgin said. When Borgin asked Malfoy if he wanted to carry it, he said no because he didn't want to touch it."

"Seriously, Harry?" Hermione cried "The necklace would be all wrapped up, so Draco wouldn't have to touch it, and quite easy to hide inside a cloak, so nobody would see it! I think whatever he reserved at Borgin and Burkes was noisy or bulky, something he knew would draw attention to him if he carried it down the street — and in any case," she pressed on loudly before Harry could interrupt, "I asked Borgin about the necklace, don't you remember? When I went in to try and find out what Malfoy had asked him to keep, I saw it there. And Borgin just told me the price, he didn't say it was already sold or anything —"

"Well, you were being really obvious, he realized what you were up to within about five seconds, of course, he wasn't going to tell you — anyway, Malfoy could've sent off for it since—"

"Okay guys, enough!" Ginny whispered harshly as she smacked her forehead. "My mistake. Now, I actually prefer reading up about Goblins."

"You know, Ginny, there is someone else we could ask," Harry said as Ginny glared at him

"Before you even start, Potter, you should know that I was with Ron at Hogsmeade so he didn't pass the necklace if that's what you're insinuating. Secondly, Ron isn't going to tell me about Draco so just drop it." Ginny exclaimed as Harry let out a grunt. Ginny heaved a sigh as she stared at her book. "No, no, I can't do this anymore. I need to go for a fly. Anyone?"

"I'm in," Harry replied instantly. "Can't focus on my work anymore, not when there's a Death Eater afoot. Nev, you in? We could throw some Quaffles. Get you ready for the match."

"I'm not sure…" Neville said as he stared at Hermione. Something inside Hermione's stomach started to twist. For some reason, Hermione had noticed how Neville had been trying to get closer to her during the year and that bothered her a little. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, Hermione tried to think of what to say when she noticed someone approaching them.

"Hermione Granger."

The entire group turned to see a small Ravenclaw girl who seemed to be more interested in Harry than talking to Hermione. Judging by her size, she looked like a first year.

"Yes?" Hermione asked as the girl handed her a note.

"Professor McGonagall would like to see you right now at this classroom. She said it's about something called…_spew_?"

"Spew?" Ginny cried with a look of disgust.

"S.P.E.W. My organisation for elfish welfare." Hermione replied, thankful for her professor's timely request. "Why don't you guys go ahead? I'll meet you there when I'm done."

"I could accompany you…" Neville said as Hermione shook her head. "I think it be better if I go by myself, thanks. Go and play, Neville. I'll meet you three at the pitch once I'm done."

For a moment, Neville's face looked slightly crestfallen before he gave a shrug and a smile to Hermione. Thanking the Ravenclaw student whose eyes seemed to linger on Harry Potter before walking away, the group started to pack their things. Hermione parted ways with the trio as she headed off towards the seventh floor, her mind deep in thought on a rather uncomfortable subject.

_Boys._

Hermione knew that part of growing up meant going through puberty and just like every adolescent girl before her, Hermione was not immune to the laws of attraction. Viktor Krum had been her first date and though they were far from incompatible, Hermione liked the idea that a wizard like Viktor, who had witches swooning over him, would ever go out with a girl like her. Hermione knew she was not the conventional type of beauty nor was she one to waste her time with things such as makeup and looking good but that night had been a quite the experience for her as she admired her periwinkle gown and hair in the mirror. Viktor hadn't swept her off her feet despite looking as princely as one of those princes in the old Disney movies but he had shown Hermione a new path, one away from dusty books and evil, dark wizards.

Then there was Neville and Harry.

Neville was a pressing issue. While Hermione never saw Neville other than her best friend and a younger brother, it seemed the same couldn't be said for him. She had noticed things, like how Neville would get her food or stay behind with her to work on his essay. She had noticed the sneaking glances and how he reacted when she complimented Harry on his looks earlier in the year. Sooner or later, she would have to deal with him but it wasn't a conversation that she was particularly looking forward to.

And then there was Harry.

If anything, Hermione blamed her mother. Though Hermione loved her mother dearly, she was still slightly mortified by what her mother had said the past summer in a particularly uncomfortable conversation.

"_So, you've packed for tomorrow. Mrs Longbottom tells me that she'll be sending someone to pick you up in the morning." Hermione's mother spoke as Hermione nodded her head. Her father took that moment to reach for a second helping of mashed potatoes, earning a disapproving glare from his wife._

"_Really, Ned, you haven't even finished your first helping."_

"_I can't help it, Catelyn. You know how your food makes me feel." Ned said as Catelyn shook her head._

"_The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."_

"_Now, now. We don't want to give our daughter here any ideas." Ned cried as Catelyn gave a laugh._

"_It might be a little too late for that."_

_Hermione nearly choked on her peas as she stared at her mother in shock. "Mom, what do you mean by that?!"_

"_I only mean…well dear…you're going to be sixteen soon and that's the age where most girls tend to…have feelings for someone." Catelyn replied with a mischievous smile on her face as Hermione rolled her eyes._

"_Oh, pray tell, which boy am I interested in?" Hermione said as Catelyn placed down her spoon before folding her arms._

"_Oh, I don't know dear, maybe…er…Harry Potter?" Catelyn said as Ned nearly choked on his mashed potatoes while Hermione let out a cough._

"_HARRY POTTER?!" Hermione and Ned cried in unison as Catelyn rolled her eyes._

"_Oh, stop being so dramatic you two. It's only ever going to happen."_

"_Mom! Harry's like my best friend!"_

"_Exactly. Which makes it perfect, don't you think? Ahhh... best friends falling in love. The seeds of romance." Catelyn said as Ned turned a bright red._

"_There will be no seeding if I can help it!" Ned growled as Hermione's cheeks began to burn._

"_Dad!"_

"_What?! You're my daughter, Hermione. If this Harry thinks he can just waltz in without so much as meeting me first, well, I should have a word with his father!"_

"_He's an orphan, Dad."_

"_Oh!" Ned exclaimed, looking slightly sheepish. "Then, his guardians. No daughter of mine will throw herself at a boy I've never even met."_

"_Oh, you've met him twice!" Catelyn cried as Hermione watched her two parents start to bicker. Hermione wanted to excuse herself from the table as she tried to bury her face behind a glass of water. What a laugh! Harry! Why, we're just best friends! Hermione thought as Catelyn turned her attention back to her daughter._

"_Oh, Ned, you're too overprotective. Hermione here has been talking about Harry non-stop since she's been back last summer."_

"_That's because Harry lost his godfather, Mom!" Hermione retorted as Catelyn shook her head._

"_It's not just this summer. It's the summer before that. And the summer before that. Ever since you've met this Harry, all you've been doing is talking about him. Dear, best friend or not, don't you think the reason you're always talking and thinking about him is that you care about him deeply?"_

"_I talk about Neville, and Ginny, and Luna," Hermione replied defensively._

"_Yes, but this is different." Catelyn sighed. "It's the way you talk about this boy. I know he's your best friend but he's growing up too. You've watched those old romantic movies with your father and I. Sooner or later, you might have feelings for him and I want you to know that you can always talk about it with me and your father."_

"_I rather spend my time studying, Mom," Hermione said as Ned gave a clap._

"_You see?! Good girl, Hermione! Yes, study. Keep on studying. Forget about boys, bahhh! At this age, there's only one thing on their minds. Bloody perverts!"_

_Catelyn rolled her eyes as she placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You can always come to me," Catelyn said quietly as Hermione nodded her head awkwardly._

"_May I be excused?" Hermione said as Catelyn nodded. Grabbing her plate, Hermione scurried out of the dining room as Catelyn turned to glare at her husband._

"_What?!" Ned said as he bit on a piece of chicken._

"_Perverts, really?" Catelyn exclaimed crossly. "I want our daughter to grow up and be more than just a bookworm and here you are, telling her to stay in the library!"_

"_I'm just trying to protect our daughter, Cat," Ned said. "Besides, she's too young to think about boys yet. Besides, that Harry bloke seems like an unstable chap."_

"_And pray tell who is good enough for our daughter?!"_

"_I don't know," Ned said as he licked his fingers. "They say that daughters tend to fall for men like their fathers," Ned replied as he grinned at his wife._

_Catelyn let out a snort. "Please, Hermione falling for a boy who uses crude remarks and eats like there's no tomorrow? That'd be the day."_

_Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked away from eavesdropping on her parent's conversation. Later that night, as she tossed and turned in her bed, Hermione stared up at her ceiling as her face formed a frown. _

_Why would I fall in love with Harry?! Hermione thought, as for some reason, her fourth-year conversation with Ron Weasley came into her mind. Ron had predicted that she would fall for Harry as did her parents and yet Hermione couldn't possibly imagine it. It seemed so ludicrous the thought of her falling for Harry. _

"_He's not even my type," Hermione whispered as she recalled seeing the recent photographs of him in the Daily Prophet. "I mean…sure, he has nice green eyes. And that black hair. But that's it." Hermione said as she closed her eyes._

_He did grow taller; her mind spoke as Hermione's eyes flew open._

_Shut up!_

_And he has a well-toned body._

_Shut up! Shut up!_

_He's a Quidditch player and you know how you have a thing for Quidditch players._

_Oh, please! Viktor was a one-time thing_

_Not to mention, when he sits on his broom, he does have a rather cute ars-_

_LALALALALALA! _

_Hermione sat up on her bed, her heart beating faster, her mouth panting as she felt the burning heat from her cheeks. At that moment, the thought of Harry pressing his lips to her mouth, sneaking a chaste kiss in front of the fireplace at the Gryffindor common room made her heart beat even faster as a tingling sensation rushed throughout her body._

_No! NO! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!_

_He's nice. He's kind. You spend so much time together. You worry about him and he worries about you. You're both Muggles in a wizarding world, strangers in a strange land with no one but the two of you against the world. You have shared trauma, shared moments and he's your best friend. Face it, Hermione, you're falling for him._

_NOOOOO! Hermione let out a mental scream as she threw herself into the pillow._

"No, Hermione, absolutely not," Hermione muttered to herself as she passed by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Seeing that the classroom was not far away, Hermione composed herself as she forced all thoughts of boys and feelings out of her head. The classroom's door was closed as Hermione took a deep breath before knocking.

"Professor?" Hermione said as she pushed the door open. To her surprise, the classroom was empty. Confused, Hermione entered the room, thinking that perhaps Professor McGonagall was in her Animagus state and she would see a cat running on the floor.

"Professor, where are….MMPH!"

Hermione felt her mouth clamp shut as her body froze stiff. She couldn't move a muscle as Hermione felt herself toppling backwards, only for two hands to catch her from behind. Whoever her captor was, Hermione could feel him reaching into her robes. For a frightening moment, Hermione feared that she was about to be violated, only for her captor to pull out her wand. Standing her upright and releasing his hold, Hermione felt something being thrown over her.

_A sack! _Hermione thought as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the bag inside. She then felt an arm around her waist as Hermione felt herself being hoisted up in the air, her body resting on her captor's shoulder.

_HELP! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED! _ Hermione yelled inside her head. A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind. _What if I'm being abducted by a Death Eater! Get a hold of yourself, Hermione! Death Eaters can't enter the school! Dumbledore would have seen to that!_

For a moment, Hermione's mind snapped back to Harry's Draco Death Eater theory. Could it be that this was Draco Malfoy kidnapping her, maybe to bring her to Voldemort as a punishment for her Ministry antics last year? She could feel the captor, pacing back and forth.

_Maybe he's deciding on whether or not to kill me!_ Hermione thought. Forcing her mind to push away all negative thoughts, Hermione decided on the most logical solution. After all, it was a Ravenclaw student that asked her to come here, wasn't it?

_It has to be a student playing a prank. The nerve of that person! When I get out, you can be sure there's hell to pay whoever you are! Detention until the end of year! And I will be speaking to Professor McGonagall, you can bet on that!_

Hermione then felt herself being thrown on off her captor's shoulders as she landed on something soft. _I'm on a couch_ Hermione thought as she felt herself being seated upright by her captor. She could feel large hands grabbing the sack as her captor removed it from Hermione.

Though she couldn't blink, the sudden appearance of light blinded her temporarily. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Hermione stared in front of her. There was a chair in front of her, a bag on the floor and a Pensieve next to it. Behind it, Hermione could see stacks and stacks of piled up items, from broomsticks to cabinets, shelves to ceramic statutes.

_I'm in the Room of Hidden Things_ Hermione said as she cursed herself mentally. The pacing had been her captor trying to open the Room of Requirement and now, she was trapped inside it. A thought flashed through her mind. Only a certain group of people knew about the room which meant that her captor was most likely from…

"I hope it works this time." A voice behind her grumbled as Hermione gasped internally at the sound of the familiar voice. Slowly, her captor emerged from behind her as he sat on the chair, his lanky form collapsing on the seat from exhaustion as he brushed his fingers through his crimson red hair.

_Ronald Weasley?!_

…_._

Ron waved his wand as a large rope appeared, wrapping itself around Hermione. He took joy in imagining just how angry the witch would be with him. Satisfied that the rope was tight enough, Ron pulled his chair closer towards the bushy-haired witch.

"Okay, Granger, listen to me very carefully. I have something to tell you, something very important that concerns the fates on everyone around us. Now, unfortunately for me, I will need you to talk which means that I have to remove the Petrificus Totalus spell from you. But, I swear, if you start screaming and cursing at me, I will put the charm once more and you can sit there listening without saying a word. "

Muttering a sigh, Ron raised his wand and aimed it at Hermione.

"Finite Incantatem!"

"RONALD WEASLEY, HOW DARE YOU!" Hermione yelled, her face looking positively livid as she struggled against her bonds. "RELEASE ME AT ONCE, YOU HORRIBLE PERSON!"

"Fuck me," Ron said as he waved his wand once more with Hermione shutting her mouth.

"Let's try this again."

After about three times, Hermione seemed to get the hint. Removing his spell, Hermione glared daggers at Ron but said nothing.

"Finally, I got you to shut up! Okay, okay…I've never got this far before." Ron said as Hermione gave him a temporarily confused stare before returning to her murderous gaze. "Let's see, alright now listen, Granger, I've something to tell you about what happened to me and I _really_ need you to listen. You'll understand why I have to do this. If you behave, I promised to remove the rope and give you back your wand."

Hermione considered his proposal for a moment before nodding her head. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ron took a deep breath before telling his story. He took note to leave out any mention of Draco, not wanting Hermione to know his cousin's secret. As Ron talked, he could see that Hermione didn't look as angry as she did, her face frowning as she took in his story of time travelling.

"And so, Dumbledore gave me a mission which I will explain later," Ron said. "All you need to know now is that the mission involves you but because it has to be done in secret, I had to find a way to get you alone. I've tried so many ways but each time you either punch me, hex me, have a wand fight in the middle of the library or you've just walked away. I know that this all seems rather drastic and uncalled for but I didn't have a choice. I need you to listen to me."

Hermione studied Ron's face for a long time before speaking.

"I see. So let me get this straight. You're saying that because you got hit by Dumbledore's potion, you time-travelled back into the past where you tried to intervene in certain events to which you then realised you cannot alter because if you do, time would just reset itself by bringing you back to the moment before you intervene in those events. And because of this, Dumbledore entrusted you with a mission which I'm guessing he feels you're right for because time won't let you die, making you the perfect person for the job. Is that the gist of it so far?"

"Well…" Ron said as he gaped at the witch. "If you want to simplify it…sure…yeah, that's it."

"I see," Hermione said as she motioned with her head for Ron to come closer. Leaning in, Ron could hear her whisper.

"Weasley, do you think I'm an _idiot?!_" Hermione spat as Ron let out a cry of frustration.

"Of course I think you're an idiot, Granger but that's not the point! Bloody Hell!"

"What you're talking about is simply _not possible_!" Hermione cried as she glared at Ron. "I've read all the books on time-travel, Weasley, not to mention, I've used a Time-Turner before!"

"What if I can prove to you that I've time-travelled?"

"How?!" Hermione demanded.

"I could tell you what's going to happen!" Ron snapped. "Let's see, things that happen next week…today is the 13th and….oh, I got it! We're having treacle tarts for dinner tomorrow! HAH!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We always have tarts on Monday, you prat!"

"Oh yeah?" Ron growled. "How about…I got it! We have a test on Gamp's Law next week! I could tell you the questions!"

"We did that last week, Weasley!"

"We did? Fuck, I didn't even noticed…Arghhh!" Ron said as he pulled his hair. "This is a waste of time! I can't remember every minor detail! And even then, you probably won't believe me."

"So I guess there's nothing you can do," Hermione said with a smug smile on her lips before glaring at Ron. "Now, untie me or I'll swear you'll be getting another detention on top of the one I'm going to give you!"

"Detention! Who the fuck cares about that?! You're seriously the most annoying, stubborn person I've ever met, Granger! Why couldn't it be anyone else? Heck, I'll even take Longbottom or Potter at this point!"

"Why do you need me, anyways?" Hermione said as she tried to shift around. Hermione had been working on the knot behind her back and she needed more time to distract him. Ron smirked at her as he leaned in.

"Because, Granger, unlike those two, you are completely insignificant to this timeline. That's right, whatever comes next affects Potter and Longbottom you're not a part of it."

"Harry?!" Hermione cried as she stopped moving. "What about Harry?"

"Oh, nothing…" Ron said as his eyes spied the bag Dumbledore had given him. "Only that this mission involves saving Potter which I just told you about a minute ago and…"

"Shut up for a moment!" Hermione said as she stopped working on the knots. "What about Harry?"

Ron glared at her as he opened his mouth before a thought occurred to him. Saying nothing to Hermione, Ron reached into the bag and pulled out the six bottles of memories from the bag. He then noticed that one of them had a red cork on top, compared to the rest. Reaching for that memory, Ron's eyes widened as he noticed the date on the memory.

7th of September. The date when he first argued with Dumbledore and took the potion. Apparently, while he was unconscious, Dumbledore had shown the first memory consisting of Bob Ogden to Potter…

_Potter!_

Ron turned back to Hermione. "Did Harry ever mention a memory about…Bob Ogden?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she released the rope behind her back. "How…how did you know about that? Dumbledore told you?! You?!"

Ron clapped his hands as he ignored Hermione's look of disbelief. "Would you like to see it?"

Ron could see Hermione frowning as she wrestled with her thoughts. Grunting with exasperation, Ron pointed his wand at Hermione's binds and released her from the rope. Pouring the memory into the Pensieve, Ron motioned for Hermione to come forth.

"Go ahead," Ron said as Hermione walked apprehensively to the Pensieve. "Go ahead and take a look."

"Give me my wand back first," Hermione demanded as Ron shook his head.

"Not yet. First, you see this memory with me."

"Fine, you go in first."

Ron glared at Hermione. "Do you think I'm an idiot? The minute I go in, you'll just grab the wand from me!"

Hermione gave Ron a triumphant look. "Of course I think you're an idiot."

"Granger, will you just... please?!"

"Fine!" Hermione cried as she stuck her head in. Letting out a curse, Ron followed after her.

….

"Oh my god!" Hermione cried as she and Ron left the third memory. On her face, Ron could see the same look of fascination and intrigue that he had when Dumbledore first took him.

"The girl in the raggedy grey dress. That was Merope Gaunt?" Hermione said as Ron nodded. At first, Ron didn't understand why Dumbledore would be so interested in that particular memory until he finally learned the secret. That the girl Merope was actually Voldemort's mother.

"Yes."

"The poor thing," Hermione said. "And you said she used a Love Potion to seduce Tom?"

"Yes, that's what Dumbledore told me."

"And to think we actually had a glimpse of what You-Know-Who was like back in his younger days," Hermione said. "He looked exactly like his father. But what was that in the third memory? Why did Morfin just disappear?"

"Because of what You-Know-Who did" Ron replied. "According to Dumbledore, You-Know-Who wiped out Morfin's memory after that and took his ring."

"The one that Marvolo first wore? But why?" Hermione asked as Ron motioned her back to the couch. Hermione no longer looked angry, curiosity having gotten the better of her.

"Well, it has to do with my mission. Granger, have you ever heard of Horcruxes?"

Hermione shook her head as Ron began explained to her his mission. He could see Hermione's eyes widening both out of fascination and terror.

"And Dumbledore believes he made seven? But why?"

"It's an educated guess at this point," Ron said. "But Dumbledore thinks it has to do with seven being a magical number. Luckily for us, two have been destroyed. The first was the ring. Tom took it after he wiped out Morfin's memories."

"The ring!" Hermione gasped. "Of course, the ring is a symbol of Power and an artefact belonging to Salazar Slytherin. Dumbledore took care of it."

"Yes," Ron said, reminding himself not to bring up that Dumbledore was dying, a fact he had hidden from Hermione. "Dumbledore destroyed it so we don't have to worry about it anymore. The second, however, is a diary. HIS diary."

"Diary…diary…Vol…Tom Riddle…" Hermione spoke as Ron could see her in deep thought before the witch clapped her hands and exclaimed loudly. "Of course, Ginny!"

"What about Ginny?" Ron asked as Hermione suddenly stared at him, her mind realising that Ron probably didn't know about the Chamber of Secrets.

"Well…errr…." Hermione spoke as Ron scowled at her.

"Oh, spit it out already, Granger!"

"Fine! It's only going to be a matter of time before you figure it out anyways." Hermione snapped before taking a deep breath. "You remember in our second year? The Chamber of Secrets being open?"

"Yeah," Ron replied with a shudder. "I recall Snape telling me that Ginny was possessed and that Harry rescued her."

"Did she tell you who possess her?" Hermione asked as Ron shook his head.

"I kept asking but all she would tell me is that she was possessed by some spirit that was the Heir of Slytherin," Ron replied with a shrug. "I didn't push her for answers."

"Well, Ginny wasn't possessed by some spirit," Hermione said. "She was possessed by Tom Riddle Jr."

"Tom Riddle?" Ron exclaimed with surprise. "But that's the name of the Dark Lord's father…wait…junior…BLOODY HELL!"

"Keep your voice down!" Hermione cried as Ron jumped up in the air, his hands waving about in a frenzy.

"GINNY WAS POSSESSED BY HIM! But how…wait…the Horcruxes…Marvolo Gaunt…Merope…his mother…the ring…Heir of Slytherin…HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS?! FUCK!" Ron shouted as he kicked a nearby chair. "Why didn't Ginny tell me?!"

"Well, actually, I think I know why…"

"What?! What do you know?!" Ron demanded as Hermione glared at him.

"If you're going to ask me so rudely…"

"Arggghhhh, Granger please!" Ron yelled before calming himself down. "Okay…okay…I'm calm…please, Granger…"

Hermione heaved a sigh. "Harry and Dumbledore found out that Ginny had come into possession of a diary to which she poured her heart and soul into. The Horcrux in that diary must have taken advantage of her. The reason why she didn't want to tell you is that the person who gave her the diary…was Lucius Malfoy."

"Uncle Malfoy?!" Ron cried in shock. "But he loves….I mean he knows that Ginny is family. My family."

"Ginny's dad, Mr Perkins, he runs the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. When he helped launched the Muggle Protection Act, Lucius Malfoy took offense to that and well, he gave Ginny the book as a way to get rid of an illegal item and for Hogwarts to be rid of Muggleborns as punishment for the Act." Hermione explained.

"But…Ginny… How could he use her like that?" Ron whispered as Hermione became silent. Though he wasn't as close to Uncle Lucius as he was to Aunt Narcissa, Ron always thought that his uncle cared deeply about him and his sister. It was evident now to Ron that with regards to the latter, it wasn't true. Almost instantly, a terrifying thought occurred to him.

_Did Draco know?_

Ron quashed that thought as soon as it arrived. Draco had no idea who the Heir was and Ron was confident that Draco would have told him if he ever knew the truth. Ron felt a wave of anger flow through him. For once, he was glad that Lucius was in Azkaban. _Serves him right_

"You okay?" Hermione said as she stared at him. "Ginny made us promise not to tell you but I figured that with the situation now, I had no choice."

"Thank you," Ron replied as Hermione looked surprised. "Thank you for telling me."

Ron turned around to head for the door, only for Hermione to grab his hand.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked though Ron kept his back towards her.

"I'm going to find my sister. Ask her why she didn't tell me."

"You can't do that!"

"Granger, don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Ron said as he pulled his hand out of her grasp. "She could have been killed. She was possessed by You-know-who and she still didn't say a damn word to me! I'm her brother! I deserve the truth!"

"Honestly! Can't you see why she didn't tell you?" Hermione said as Ron turned around. "Ginny didn't tell you because she wanted to protect you from the truth! You always think the world of the Malfoys and the last thing Ginny wanted was to take that away from you!"

_She wanted to protect you from the truth_

_Kind of like your parents' death, eh Ron?_

Ron felt his anger start to deflate as he turned around to face Hermione. "She's my little sister. It's my job to protect her."

"Well…" Hermione replied, her expression softening. "It's over anyways. That Horcrux is dead and Harry saved her life. Your sister is fine, Ron."

_For now_

"Besides, there is a silver lining if you think about it." Hermione continued as Ron gave her a puzzled look. "Not only are we two Horcruxes down, but we have a person who has experienced one of Tom's Horcruxes."

"Yeah, don't really see the silver lining there," Ron grunted as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We know that Horcruxes are powerful Dark objects. We know that they can possess you and that they can influence the way you think and act. And it also lends itself to the theory that Dumbledore was right. I mean, that Horcrux was always meant to be used at Hogwarts, one time or another. And You-Know-Who must have known that someone would eventually figure out what it really was. Why would he be so confident unless…"

"Unless he made more," Ron replied. "Okay Granger, I get it."

Hermione clapped her hands. "Alright, so are these other memories all about Horcruxes?"

Ron peered at the remaining three bottles. "Sort of. This one is Slughorn's memory but it's being tampered with so there's no point seeing that now. The other is Dumbledore's but I think the one you need to see is this."

"Okay, let's go!" Hermione said as Ron raised his hand.

"Hold your dragons, Granger. There's a backstory to this one as well." Ron said as Hermione sat down on the couch quietly, eager to hear him. On any other day, Ron would have found the entire thing slightly strange and downright amusing, the sight of the bookworm wanting to listen to him.

"So the Dark Lord…"

"Can we call him Tom, please?" Hermione said as Ron raised his eyebrow. "It's just…I'm not comfortable referring to his name as the Dark Lord."

"Fine, whatever," Ron replied. "Anyways, Tom reached the seventh year of his schooling with, top grades in every examination he had taken. Nearly everybody expected spectacular things from Tom, because you know, Prefect, Head Boy, winner of the Award for Special Services to the School. Several teachers including Professor Slughorn suggested that he join the Ministry of Magic and they offered to set up appointments and put him in touch with useful contacts but Tom refused all offers. Instead, he began working at Borgin and Burkes." "

At Borgin and Burkes?" Hermione repeated, stunned. "

At Borgin and Burkes," Ron repeated. "You'll understand why once you've seen this memory. But this was not his first choice for a job. Hardly anyone knew of it at the time — I was one of the few in whom the then headmaster confided but believe it or not, Tom wanted to stay at Hogwarts as a teacher."

"He wanted to stay here? Why?" Hermione asked, feeling more amazed still.

"I believe he had several reasons, though he confided none of them to Professor Dippet," said Dumbledore. "Firstly, and very importantly, Dumbledore said that Tom was more attached to this school than he has ever been to a person. Hogwarts was where he had been happiest; the first and only place he had felt at home."

"Kind of like Harry," Hermione replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Secondly, the castle is a stronghold of ancient magic. According to Dumbledore, Tom had penetrated many more of its secrets than most of the students who pass through the place, but he still wanted more."

"That does sound like him," Hermione said, with an uneasy tone.

"And thirdly, Dumbledore mentioned that he thinks Tom saw Hogwarts as a useful recruiting ground, a place where he might begin to build himself an army. Says he got the idea from Professor Slughorn who was Tom's favourite teacher."

"That makes sense. If he was a teacher, he could influence generation after generation." Hermione replied with a shudder. "Can you imagine? All those students following in his footsteps?"

"Luckily, Tom didn't get the job. Professor Dippet, the Headmaster then, told him that he was too young at eighteen, but invited him to reapply in a few years, if he still wished to teach." Ron said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Guess what subject he wanted to teach?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione guessed as Ron nodded. Hermione wrapped herself in her arms as she shook her head.

"So then, he went to Borgin and Burkes?"

"Yeah," Ron replied. "The staff said it was a waste for someone of his talent to be working as an assistant. But Tom was special. He was polite, handsome and clever and so they gave him a special task. His job was to persuade people to part with their treasures for sale by the partners."

"I'll bet he was," Hermione said, unable to contain herself.

"Well, here is the memory of Hokey the house-elf," Ron said as he lifted the bottle. "Hokey worked for a very old, very rich witch by the name of Hepzibah Smith."

"What's so special about this memory?" Hermione asked.

"You're about to find out," Ron replied grimly as both he and Hermione entered the Pensieve.

….

"Wait, what happened?" Hermione said as soon as the pair left the memory.

"Well, "Hepzibah Smith died two days after that meeting. Hokey the house-elf was convicted by the Ministry of poisoning her mistress's evening cocoa by accident." Ron said as Hermione flinched, aghast at his words.

"What?! Hokey confessed to doing that?!"

"Yeah, Dumbledore said Hokey remembered putting something in Smith's cocoa. She thought it was sugar but it turned out to be a lethal poison. The Ministry, however, thought that she had not meant to do it, being that Hokey was old and confused."

"Tom modified her memories!" Hermione snapped. "Or he must have used the Imperius Curse. Why didn't the Ministry investigate further?"

"Well, they had to suspect her –"

"Because she was a house-elf!" Hermione cried, seething at his words. Ron looked slightly bemused at the sight of Hermione pacing up and down the floor.

"Will you get a hold of yourself, Granger?!"

"No, I will not, Weasley!" Hermione snapped. "Don't you see? See how bigotry can affect us all? All the Ministry had to do was look inside her memories and they would have had their suspect! But no…can't do that…elves aren't like wizards…they don't have a right to a free trial!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now so stop whining and let's focus, shall we?!" Ron demanded as Hermione scowled at him before sitting down on the couch. Ron took a seat in front of her.

"Okay," Ron said as Hermione crossed her arms while keeping the scowl on her face. "At least now, you know, Tom killed Smith because he wanted the two items. Items which Dumbledore says he sees as trophies. Just like the ring and diary, although the diary seems to be nothing special –"

"Of course it was special!" Hermione exclaimed. "That diary was proof that he was the Heir of Slytherin. The trophies have to mean something to _him_ even if they can be something that seems ordinary. Remember the memory back at the orphanage? The yo-yo? The thimble? The mouth-organ? Just because they mean nothing to us, doesn't mean they don't have a special meaning for him."

"Okay fine!" Ron cried. " So the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup. That's four."

"Wait!" Hermione said as she removed a parchment and quill from her robes. "If we're going to do this, let's do this right. So the first two Horcruxes, the diary and the ring, both destroyed."

"That's right."

"And now, we have the Hufflepuff's cup and Salazar's locket," Hermione said as Ron nodded. "You mentioned to me something about Nagini?"

"Yes, Dumbledore thinks that Nagini could be a Horcrux although I'm not sure how…"

"I do," Hermione said as Ron stared at her in surprise. "Last year, Harry kept having visions. Do you remember when your brother Bill was attacked? Well, Harry said that at that time, he was seeing himself attacking your brother. Only that it wasn't Harry, of course, it was Nagini, You-Know-Who's snake! That's how Dumbledore knew Nagini was a Horcrux. Because she contained part of His soul!"

"Okay, I'll buy that," Ron said. "But that leaves us with just one other Horcrux whose origin is unknown."

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well, it would make sense for the artefact to be something belonging to either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. It fits the theme, after all."

"Can't be Gryffindor," Ron said. "Dumbledore said the only artefact belonging to Gryffindor is his sword and Dumbledore has that. Are there any artefacts belonging to Ravenclaw that you know of?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, but that's okay. We have plenty of time to find them."

"We?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron. "Do you think I would sit something like this out, especially after everything you've shown me?"

"Well, I figured maybe you hate me too much to work with me and so…"

"Listen, Weasley," Hermione said as she wore a serious expression. "I think you are the rudest, and most incorrigible person I've ever met…"

"Gee, thanks!" Ron cried sarcastically.

"But this is bigger than us. Bigger than anything, really. The only way we are ever going to bring down You-Know-Who is by destroying his Horcruxes. If that means I have to team up with you, then so be it." Hermione said as Ron let out a groan.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Yes!" Hermione cried, surprised that a Pureblood like Ron would know a Muggle saying. "How did you…"

"Never mind," Ron said as he pocketed the parchment. "For our plan to work, obviously we need to keep this secret. If word gets out, no doubt the timeline would be affected. No one else can know about what we're doing. If Harry brings up these memories to you, you have to act like you know nothing of it."

"So we really can't bring anyone?" Hermione pleaded as Ron shook his head fervently. "I mean, I get why we can't ask Harry but what about Neville and Ginny?"

"I'm not involving my sister in this," Ron said firmly. "And as for Neville, he's part of an important event in the timeline. Involving him might alter it. "

"Fine!" Hermione exclaimed in a resigned tone. She had been hoping to include at least someone else besides Ron but the Slytherin appeared to be unmoved in his stance.

"Luna?" Hermione said hopefully as Ron glared at her.

"Lovegood can't keep a secret." Ron retorted. "Not that you can either, seeing as how you just showed the picture of you kissing me to her!"

Hermione looked astonished for a moment before replying indignantly. "At least I don't resort to lying about my parents to get what I want!"

"What in the blazes are you talking about?!"

"I'm talking about how you lied about your parents' death, just to get me to feel sorry for you!" Hermione fumed as the memory of his fourth year struck Ron in the head. Smirking at the witch, Ron gave a shrug.

"What can I say? You're really easy to seduce, Granger."

"PLEASE!" Hermione cried as she threw her hands in the air. "As if I'll ever fall for the likes of you!"

"Careful, now. Don't forget, you shared your first kiss with me. Better watch what you say!"

Hermione gaped at the sight of a smug Ron before crossing her arms. "You…you…you don't know that's my first kiss!"

"Yes, it was!"

"No, it wasn't!"

"Whatever!"

"Whatever!"

"Merlin, you're annoying!" Ron and Hermione cried in unison as they both glared at each other. An awkward silence, built from the tension between the two, descended upon them until Ron decided to speak.

"Let's get something straight, Granger. I'm not your friend and I'm not doing this for you, for Potter, for Dumbledore or anyone else! I'm doing it to protect my sister. If You-Know-Who wasn't so…evil, I would actually be fine seeing the world rid of the likes of you. But luckily for you, my sister and Draco are in danger so I've no choice. We're going to look for the Horcruxes, destroy as many as we can and come the end of our sixth year, you and Potter and your little gang can go bugger off." Ron spat.

"Fine by me!" Hermione snapped before realising something. "Wait, what do you mean by your sister and Draco are in danger? How is Draco in danger?"

Ron's eyes widened at his mistake. "Nothing!" Ron blurted out as he looked away from Hermione. _Stupid, Ron, stupid!_

"Weasley, is Malfoy a Death Eater?"

"WHAT!" Ron exclaimed before letting out an awkward laugh. "Draco a Death Eater?! You must be crazy. He's not even seventeen! Like the Dark Lord would let an underaged wizard join his inner circle. Bollocks!"

"Are you sure?" Hermione said as Ron let out a cry of exasperation.

"Can we just…you know…focus on our task at hand and not worry about my cousin? You keep asking questions about him and sooner or later, you might alter the timeline."

Ron could see Hermione about to retort before biting back her lip. Satisfied that he had finally shut Granger up, Ron promptly switched the subject.

"Okay, so for the Horcruxes, it seems like we have a lot to do."

"Before we do that," Hermione said as she stared at Ron. "Let's talk about your ability. So you're saying that the reason I can help you look for Horcruxes is that I'm insignificant to the timeline?"

"Yes."

"On the other hand, you're significant. Hence why, you can't be killed or else time will simply reset itself by bringing you back to the moment you last slept. As long as time is altered, you go back to when you last slept. Sort of like a…restoration point."

"That's right," Ron replied as Hermione frowned.

"And you retain all knowledge of the previous timeline."

"Yes."

"I see," Hermione said with a smile on her face. "This is perfect! That means if we have an unproductive day, all we have to do is do something to alter the timeline and everything will reset. We could do years of research in like days!"

"Technically, yes." Ron sighed. "But there are only a few things that will reset the timeline and we would have to make sure that I don't fall asleep."

"Or we could just kill you," Hermione said as Ron glared at her.

"You like that, wouldn't you?"

"Hard as it may for you to believe, Weasley," Hermione said. "Killing is not as easy as you make it out to be. But we know it's the one thing that works so it's our best method of resetting the timeline."

"Just don't get any ideas," Ron said as he stared warily at Hermione's wand.

"So what do we do now?" Hermione said as she stared at the bag. "Anything else in there?"

"Just two more memories. And this!" Ron said as he pulled out a large folder. Opening it up, Hermione could see that it was filled with various documents articles, newspaper clippings, and photographs.

"We have extracts from Death Eater trials, Muggle newspapers on strange activity as well as interviews by people claiming to have seen Tom," Ron said as Hermione breezed through the folder. "And that's just the first one. We have four more other folders in there as well."

"Okay, then let's get organised," Hermione spoke in a tone that Ron found annoyingly bossy. "First, we need to find out all we can about Horcruxes, how they work and more importantly, how to destroy one."

"We already know how they work. Ginny, remember?"

"That's not enough! We need more information. I'll see what I can find at the library. Tom must have come across it somehow."

"Good, you can do that tomorrow. We only have about an hour before dinner and I need to take a fucking nap." Ron said as he let out a yawn.

Hermione glared at Ron. "Do you think of anything else besides food and sleep?!"

"Of course. There's Quidditch. And girls. And Quidditch…"

"Honestly!"

"Listen, Granger, we have an entire year to do this. Right now, I'm exhausted and unlike you, I have a life." Ron drawled as Hermione made a face. "So before I get back to my friends and have dinner, we have a more pressing matter to discuss."

"What's that?"

"We need an excuse to meet up, just you and me," Ron said. "For obvious reasons, neither one of us can just skip out and meet each other and on top of that, we have to go out and hunt Horcruxes. So Dumbledore thinks I should join your elf organisation, which he is going to recognise as an official club in Hogwarts. It would act as our cover and we get to travel outside of Hogwarts unsupervised because you're of age."

"That does make sense except for one tiny problem. You hate my organisation, Weasley. If you were to join, wouldn't that arouse suspicion?"

"That's true," Ron replied as he stretched his arms. "Which is why there's only one way to do this."

….

**October 14****th,**** 1996**

"Oh, and Malfoy knows, of course," Harry said as Hermione and Neville exchanged exasperated looks with one another. _Maybe I should just ask Ron_ Hermione thought as Harry launched into a discussion with Neville about Quidditch. A quick glance at the Slytherin table saw Ron laughing about with Draco and Theo while Blaise sat quietly, glaring at the group. Hermione rolled her eyes at Tracey Davis, the Slytherin girl who was trying to get Ron's attention by putting her hand on his shoulder and laughing at every single sentence he spoke.

_Is that what flirting looks like?_

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione snuck a glance at Harry who was seated in front of her. Despite being engrossed in conversation with Neville, Hermione could see that Harry's hand was but a mere inch away from hers. All thoughts of Harry clouded her mind again as Hermione squirmed in her seat, trying to block certain wanton images that were flowing through her mind.

_Maybe I could like lean in? It would be an accident, nothing more._

"Oww!" Harry cried as he turned to Hermione. "You kicked me!"

"Sorry, it was an accident!" Hermione blurted out while mentally cursing herself. So focused on her hand, she had completely forgotten about her feet and that Harry was a foot taller than he once was.

_Okay, Hermione, get a grip. Get a grip!_

"Headmaster!" Harry called out as Hermione gave a start. Behind her stood Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall who gave Hermione a smile.

"No need to get up," Dumbledore said as the trio sat back down. "I'm only here to deliver some messages. The first is about our lesson, Harry. Eight o'clock sharp."

"Yessir!" Harry replied as Dumbledore beamed at him before turning to Hermione.

"The second concerns you, Miss Granger. Professor McGonagall here has spoken to me about your unofficial club concerning the elves."

"Oh, it's nothing special," Hermione replied as her cheeks started to burn.

"So modest. Well, as it just happens, I believe in your cause. And that is why I want this organisation to be officially recognised as a Hogwarts club."

"Thank you, Headmaster!" Hermione cried as Dumbledore gave a laugh.

"Don't thank me just yet…Ahhh, Professor Snape." Dumbledore said as Hermione turned to see Snape walking in front of Ron, Draco, and Tracey Davis.

"What's this about Weasley?" Snape spoke as he glared at Ron who averted his gaze.

"It seems, Severus, that your student Ronald was involved in an incident with Miss Granger," McGonagall spoke in a stern voice. "He apparently tricked a first-year Ravenclaw student to lure Miss Granger into a classroom where he hit her with a jinx."

"What?!" Harry and Neville cried in anger.

"Why in Salazar's name would you do something like that?!" Snape growled at Ron who gave a shrug.

"She threatened to spread an incriminating photo about me!" Ron said as he glared at Hermione. "I tried to ask her nicely but she refused and we had a disagreement, that's all."

"You threw a sack over her head!" McGonagall exclaimed as Draco and Tracey sniggered at her remark.

"It's easier to jinx someone if they can't see you," Ron replied as Draco laughed even harder. Unfortunately for Ron, his attempt at humour wasn't fully appreciated.

"Think it's funny, Malfoy?!" Harry exclaimed, glaring at the Slytherin who sneered at him.

"Yeah, it is. It's not like Granger's much of a looker anyways. If you're asking me, Ron did all of us a favour."

"Enough!" McGonagall barked as all the students fell silent. "For your crass and completely inappropriate behaviour, Mr Weasley, I should think a detention and a hundred and fifty points deduction will teach you a lesson."

"A hundred and fifty!" Ron protested as Snape snarled at him.

"Quiet, boy!"

"However, Mr Weasley, I have an alternative solution," Dumbledore spoke at last as everyone turned to him. "I think given the history between the two of you, another punishment would be redundant. Mr Weasley here needs to learn to respect others and I can think of nothing better than to put you and Miss Granger in charge of S.P.E.W. You two will have the year to work on it whereas you may choose to bring in new members next year. Otherwise, I want the pair of you, and only the pair of you, to run this organisation together."

"WHAT?!" Ron and Hermione cried in unison as Harry, Neville, Draco, and Tracey gaped in shock. Even Snape and McGonagall exchanged a confused look with each other.

"Yes, that is my decision. Unless you rather do the punishment." Dumbledore said as Ron stared long and hard at his Headmaster.

"Okay, give me the punishment."

"Quiet, you imbecile!" Snape barked as Ron grumbled quietly. "I will not let our House suffer for your incompetence. Tell the Headmaster you accept this job and you will do it responsibly! I will not tolerate any further loss of house points so needlessly, Weasley!"

"Fine," Ron said as he crossed his arms.

" Very well. You have my permission to work on your objectives tonight. I would like to see a draft by Wednesday, is that clear?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore said as he clapped his hands. "Minerva, Severus, let us feast."

Hermione watched as the trio of professors departed from the table before extending her hand out to Ron with a smirk on her face.

"I'm sure we can work together, can we, Ronald?"

Ron stared at Hermione's hand before scowling and walking away. Draco shot a glare at Harry while Tracey stood close to Hermione.

"Better watch yourself, Mudblood," Tracey whispered in her ear before taking off.

"Why didn't you tell us, Hermione?" Harry demanded as soon as the trio sat down.

"What? I can handle Weasley." Hermione said as Neville cracked his knuckles.

"He's dead. He's so dead. The next time he tries something like that, he's going to regret it!" Neville cried. "I can't believe you have to work with him."

"Please. I bet he's just going to blow it off." Harry said as Neville nodded. "Whatever it is, you can always come to us, eh Hermione. Don't keep it to yourself."

Hermione felt Harry's hand on hers as butterflies started to explode in her stomach.

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll be fine" Hermione said with a smile.

…..

"Tracey, I got to go," Ron said as he pulled himself away from the witch. He could feel his lips chaffing slightly as Tracey held a bemused look on her face.

"Go? Go where?"

"Meeting with Granger, remember. I can't be late." Ron said as Tracey gave a laugh.

"Ron, you're not being serious, are you?"

"Of course, I am. Come on!" Ron said as he gently pushed the door slightly open. Peeking to see no one in the corridor, Ron blew a sigh of relief before he and Tracey exited the broom storage closet. Ron proceeded to button up his shirt before adjusting his tie. Turning around, he could see Tracey staring at him as she tied her hair up in a ponytail.

"What?" Ron asked, unnerved by Tracey's stare.

"Are you into Granger?" Tracey said as Ron gave a start.

"Granger?! What?! Are you insane?"

"It's just you kept insisting on meeting Granger during our snogging session, Ronald! A girl can't help but think that!"

"Tracey, I would rather die a thousand times over before I would even go out with a Mudblood, let alone Granger," Ron said as Tracey gave a giggle. "It's just that if I don't go, Dumbledore will certainly deduct house points and you'll have a dead boyfriend because Snape will definitely kill me!"

"Still my boyfriend, though," Tracey whispered as she leaned in to give Ron a peck on the cheek. Ron returned a quick peck before letting out an awkward laugh.

_Not for long, though. _In his head, Ron could hear a voice screaming at him.

_Break up with her now! Save yourself the trouble!_

_I should, shouldn't I?_

_Do it!_

Ron opened his mouth to speak, only for Tracey to cut him off.

"Hey, Pansy wants to know if you're up for a double date at Hogsmeade next weekend. We're celebrating Draco finally being done with detention." Tracey said as Ron stared at her blankly.

"Yeah, sure. Anything." Ron replied as Tracey threw her arms around him. Ron returned the gesture half-heartedly before saying his goodbye. Walking up towards the seventh floor, as he focused on thoughts about his relationship, Ron recalled a past conversation he had with Aunt Narcissa.

_New Year's Eve 1994_

"_Ron, come with me!" Draco called out as Ron felt himself being pulled away from his Slytherin classmates. If there was one thing the Malfoys knew how to do, it was to throw extravagant parties. The atmosphere was festive and boisterous as the entire manor was filled with guests, from members of prominent Pureblood families to relatives and friends. Ron even spotted a few Ministry officials conversing with his mother._

"_But Theo's about to take his seventh shot of Firewhiskey." Ron moaned as their group of classmates surrounded a purple-faced Theo, being urged on by Blaise and Goyle. Behind Goyle, stood the pair of Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, the latter blowing a kiss his way._

"_Come on." Draco laughed. "Mother and Father want to speak to you for a bit."_

"_Fine," Ron said as they made their way to the study. "Wish we didn't have to go back to Hogwarts," Ron grumbled as Draco patted his cousin on his back._

"_But then, you and I will miss Potter failing his second task," Draco said. "I heard that he hasn't even figured out the clue yet."_

"_Okay, fine, that's some good news," Ron said as they rounded down a corridor. The noise from the party was starting to ebb away as Ron turned to Draco._

"_Hey, I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to ask Tracey officially tonight."_

"_Really?" Draco said nervously as Ron nodded his head. "Why tonight?"_

"_Because it's the new year, you git! I want us to be special! Really special!"_

"_I still can't believe the two of you are together," Draco said with a laugh. "I mean, no offense, but Tracey's always struck me as a bimbo."_

"_A really hot bimbo." Ron sniggered as Draco rolled his eyes. Reaching the study, the pair entered the room. Aunt Narcissa was standing in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine in her hand. She wore a black gown with glittering diamonds and a silver tiara on her head._

"_Mother."_

"_Aunt Narcissa."_

"_Where's Father?" Draco asked as he looked around the room. Uncle Lucius was nowhere to be seen._

"_Your Father had to attend to some very important guests, Draco, so it will just be me talking to Ronald here. Why don't you go and re-join your friends? Ronald and I will only take a moment."_

"_Okay," Draco said before patting Ron on the back. "See you later, mate. I'll take pictures in case Theo throws up."_

"_Thanks!" Ron said as he watched his cousin leave before turning his attention to his aunt._

"_Ron, sit with me," Narcissa said as she took a seat on the couch. Joining her, Ron could see a bittersweet smile on her face._

"_You wanted to talk to me?" Ron said as he joined her on the couch._

"_Yes, yes I do. Tell me, Ron, how are you doing back at Hogwarts? Is everything okay?"_

"_Yes, Aunt Narcissa."_

"_And is Draco doing okay? Have you been looking out for him?"_

"_Yes, I have."_

"_And your sister?"_

"_Yes, she's fine as well."_

"_Good." Narcissa sighed. "That's good, Ronald." The look on Aunt Narcissa's face told Ron that there was something else she wanted to talk to him about._

"_Aunt Narcissa, what's wrong?"_

"_Oh, nothing. Just…some silly things about your uncle. He's a traditionalist, Ronald, you see. He really loves the old ways."_

"_Okay…" Ron replied nervously, unsure of what to say. Clapping her hands, Narcissa composed herself before flashing Ron a smile._

"_Tell me, Ronald, is it true that you're currently in a relationship with a young Miss Tracey Davis?"_

_Ron's felt his cheeks burning as the tips of his ears turned pink. "Err…we're not in a relationship! We're just…dating."_

"_I see." Aunt Narcissa whispered. "Tell me something, what do you like about this girl?"_

"_Well, Tracey's the best…she's nice, she always wants to spend time with me and she's beautiful."_

"_I see. So can I say, this is more like a crush?"_

"_Something like that," Ron said as he fiddled with his fingers. "Aunt Narcissa, can I ask you a question?"_

"_Of course."_

"_What's it like to fall in love?"_

"_Oh, Ronald," Narcissa said with a giggle. "You're only fourteen and you're asking me about love?"_

"_It's just…" Ron said before shaking his head. "Never mind."_

"_Go on," Narcissa replied in a serious tone as Ron let out a long breath._

"_See, the reason I like Tracey is because of how she makes me feel. It's like…whenever I see a couple at Hogwarts snogging in some corner, I always think to myself, will anyone ever feel that way about me? I mean, I'm just me. I'm not special or handsome or a Quidditch star like Draco. I don't even have a proper family. So I just thought, you know, it will never happen. And then Tracey comes along and to have someone actually think you're good looking and you're special. She even gets jealous of other girls coming to talk to me. It's nice, you know, having that feeling."_

"_Oh, Ron," Narcissa said as she brushed her fingers across his forehead. "I know that feeling. The feeling that someone actually cares about you, admires you, gets possessive of you. But I just don't know if you can call it love. I mean, I won't deny that there has to be attraction between the pair of you but I think you're too young to call it love."_

"_Oh," Ron said as Narcissa shook her head._

"_Now, don't you worry about love. Your Uncle Lucius was actually concerned about this."_

"_He was?" Ron interjected._

"_Yes," Narcissa said as she frowned at the thought. "Your Uncle was concerned that with your current relationship with Miss Davis, you would want to marry her one day and seeing that you're Pureblood while she isn't… well, he was slightly troubled -"_

"_I see."_

"_\- But I told him it was completely bollocks," Narcissa said as Ron looked up at her._

"_What?"_

"_So what if the girl's a half-blood? So long as she isn't Muggle or Muggleborn, I would be fine by it, I told him." Narcissa said as Ron stared at her in awe. "Honestly, the mere thought of that man telling me that we should try to edge you away. He thinks you should be paired up with the Greengrass daughter or that young miss Bulstrode."_

"_Millicent?!" Ron exclaimed as he made a face. "No thanks!"_

_Narcissa giggled at Ron's expression before smiling at him. "Listen to me, Ron, you're young. Go and live a life. Make mistakes, have fun. And if Tracey makes you feel good, then continue to date her."_

"_But what about my…obligations as a Pureblood?" Ron said as Narcissa scoffed at his words._

"_You'll have time for that once you fall in love. If you do fall in love, Ron, and she's not a Pureblood, just come talk to me. Deal?"_

"_Deal. Thanks, Aunt Narcissa." Ron said before hesitating. "But how will I know?"_

"_Know?"_

"_When I fall in love. You say that Tracey's just a crush? How will I know when I fall in love?"_

"_Well…" Narcissa said before pausing. "You'll know it because you'll feel it in your heart. It's different from a crush. When it's a crush, everything's just physical. You'll try to convince yourself that it's real but deep down, you'll know it's not. When you're in love, all you see is that person despite how ordinary or strange they may seem. You'll feel your heart racing, your emotions flooding throughout your body and try as hard as you can to deny it, you can't. When I first met Uncle Lucius, I wasn't that impressed with him. Sure, he was a Malfoy but I was a Black. Lucius kept rambling on and on about Slytherin values and his beliefs, spreading his influence to as many people as he could but I, all I could think about was being the best witch I could be. I was a bookworm, believe it or not, Ron and I can remember the first few years, I would always work hard at my subjects but Lucius, he would take shortcuts and he was such a lazy prat."_

_Ron bit his lip to stifle his laughter as Narcissa continued to speak._

"_One day, during our fourth year, he and I got into this huge argument. I can't remember what it was about, but we were sent to detention where we had to clean out this large storage room. I remember us exchanging jibes and insults until all of a sudden, your Uncle Lucius broke down. You see, Ron, in the previous year, Uncle Lucius's father was suspected of some unsavoury activity concerning the then Minister for Magic, Nobby Leach. This makes things hard at home for your Uncle Lucius and so he tried to put on a façade for us in school. I was the first person to ever see through that."_

"_I see. And then what happened?"_

"_We got to talking and soon enough, your Uncle Lucius started to show me a side of himself that he never showed anyone. He talked about how hard it was maintaining his image and I confided in him, my secrets. We were both from conservative families, Ron. Malfoys and Blacks but that didn't mean we didn't have other goals, other dreams. Did you know what your Uncle Lucius wanted to be at fourteen?"_

"_What?"_

"_A Quidditch player. Or more specifically, a Chaser."_

"_No?!" Ron cried. "Really?!"_

"_Yeah," Narcissa said with a smirk. "But he was so nervous to go to tryouts each time. So during the holidays, he and I took a trip down to join a youth team from the Quidditch League. Now, since your uncle was a novice, he chose the worst team he could think of. The Chudley Cannons."_

_Ron couldn't believe his ears. "No way! Uncle Lucius played for the Cannons?!"_

_Narcissa burst into laughter. "Played? Your uncle sucked, Ronald! He couldn't even score a goal and when he finally did, it was after the Seeker had caught the snitch. Needless to say, your uncle was so embarrassed that he swore off Quidditch. But we had a laugh about it and it only brought us closer."_

"_I see." Ron laughed as he tried to picture Lucius Malfoy in a Cannons uniform. "Ha-ha, poor Uncle Lucius."_

"_Now, don't tell this story to anyone, not even Draco. But that's what love is about. When you trust another person enough to show a part of yourself that even you're embarrassed about, when you're not afraid to show the other person who you really are, then that's love. There's so much more to love, of course, but that's just a glimpse of it. You're in love when you fall for the person and not the image of who they think or you think they are."_

"_I get it," Ron said as Narcissa beamed at him. "Thanks, Aunt Narcissa."_

"_Now I'm going to tell Uncle Lucius that I've spoken to you," Narcissa said as she patted his shoulder. "You know your uncle and how persistent he can be. But don't you worry. You just go out there and enjoy yourself, okay? I think we're almost nearing midnight."_

"_Okay," Ron said as he wrapped his arms around his aunt before heading for the door. Turning back, Ron beamed at his aunt._

"_Thank you, Aunt Narcissa."_

"_Anytime, Ronald. Anytime."_

…_.._

"So Tom came back to ask for a job," Hermione said as she paced about the room. Having viewed the last two memories, Ron watched as the witch walked back and forth in front of the couch, her expression deep in thought.

"Yeah, but as Dumbledore said in the memory, he thinks Tom is lying. Tom never wanted a job to teach." Ron exclaimed.

"No, he didn't," Hermione replied as she stopped pacing to look at Ron.

"So why come back?" Ron said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Why come ask Dumbledore for a job he knows that he won't get?"

"Maybe there's something in the castle that he wanted to get?"

"You mean, like an object he can use for a Horcrux?" Ron said as Hermione sat in front of him.

"Yes, but it can't be Gryffindor's, can it?" Hermione said excitedly. "Dumbledore would have the sword with him and Tom would know better than to try to steal in from his office."

"So it has to be Ravenclaw. An object of Ravenclaw's!" Ron cried. "So what do we do now?"

"We start reading," Hermione said as she removed several books from her bag. "I took these books from the library. There's information in them about the four founders. Maybe we can find something about Ravenclaw?"

"What about looking into Dumbledore's folders?" Ron said as he eyed the large stack of folders on the table. "Shouldn't we start looking for where he might have hidden these Horcruxes?"

"Let's just focus on this unknown Horcrux first. That can wait." Hermione replied as Ron gave a shrug. "Here, I need you to sign this," Hermione said as she handed Ron a parchment.

"What's this?"

"A document with regards to the mission, vision, objectives, and values of S.P.E.W"

"Granger," Ron groaned. "You do realise that this entire elf organisation of yours is only our cover, right? Like we don't actually have to do this."

"This will help us with our cover, Weasley," Hermione replied as Ron rolled his eyes. "At least, if anyone asks or questions our club, we can just show them this."

"What does S.P.E.W mean anyways?" Ron asked as he signed the document.

"Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," Hermione replied proudly as Ron snorted.

"Elfish Welfare…seriously…the ideas you Gryffindors come up with."

"You don't have to pretend to like it!" Hermione snapped. "Just sign it, please."

"Fine!" Ron cried. "I'll sign your bloody document. If you ask me, S.P.E.W can stand for other things as well."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"I don't know," Ron said before smirking. "How about Seeking to Prevent the Extinction of the World?"

"Clever, Weasley, clever," Hermione said as she rolled her eyes. "Now, focus. We got work to do!"

"Fine!" Ron said as he signed the parchment before handing it over to Hermione. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Hermione said as she smirked at his signature. "Welcome to SPEW, Ronald Weasley."

Ron rolled his eyes before picking up a folder and flipping it open.

"Alright, let's get started."

….

**And that's it for now. Next chapter will consist of Ron's time loops and their adventures into destroying the Horcruxes. **

**I know the first half may seem to be focused on Harry/Hermione but this story isn't going to go into that too much. It's just, without Ron, I feel Hermione would get closer to Harry rather than Neville. And of course, Ron would have his love issues as well. Anyways, lots more to look forward to.**

**Thanks for reading and please review if you can. Love you all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi there, sorry for the long wait. It's been tough just trying to find free time, let alone have time to write a fanfic. While I cannot promise that the chapters will come in fast and quick, I just have to keep updating them as long as I have time. I do my best, I promise. So to all my readers, I do apologise.**

**So here is chapter five. On that note, I will like to point out that upon writing this chapter, I have to refer to my previous chapters and boy, did I find quite a number of grammatical errors. I thought of editing and replacing them but I think it's better that I continue to focus on creating more chapters. Hopefully, those errors don't get in the way of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story.**

**CHAPTER FIVE: ACCEPTANCE OF FATE**

**October 15, 1996**

"Wow, scary thought, the boy You-Know-Who," said Neville quietly, as he successfully pulled out the pod from one of the gnarled Snargaluff stumps that formed this term project. "But I still don't get why Dumbledore's showing you all this. I mean, it's really interesting and everything, but what's the point?"

"Dunno," said Harry, touching at his gum shield while he and Hermione slowly released their hands from the stump. "But he says it's all important and it'll help me survive."

"I think it's fascinating," said Hermione earnestly. "It makes absolute sense to know as much about Voldemort as possible. How else will you find out his weaknesses? Oh, for _Merlin's sake!_" Hermione cried as one of her hair strands got up it the Snargaluff's prickly vines. Harry came to her rescue, pulling her hair away from the vines while gently stroking it into place. A slight electric charge ran throughout her body as Hermione did her best to prevent her face from blushing.

"So how was it last night with Weasley?" Harry asked as he and Neville took turns trying to squeeze out the pod.

"What?!" Hermione cried as the pod slipped under Neville's grasp and landed a few feet away.

"What Harry means is...did Weasley try anything?" Neville asked as Harry went to retrieve the pod.

"Oh, no, nothing of that sort," Hermione said as Neville raised his eyebrow. Realising that she needed to paint Ron in his usual personality, Hermione gave a scowl. "He's been his usual idiotic self. Calling me names and stuff. Until I threatened to tell Dumbledore. Nothing I can't handle."

"If you ask me, the entire thing is ridiculous!" Harry cried, much to the displeasure of Professor Sprout who gave the group a stern gaze and got back apologetic looks in return. "I tried asking Dumbledore to give Ron some other sort of punishment but the old man wouldn't budge. I mean, I get what Dumbledore is trying to do but this is Ron Weasley we're talking about here. I even volunteered both Neville and myself to join the group but Dumbledore wouldn't allow it."

"It doesn't make sense," Neville said as he successfully extracted the pus out of the pod. "I get why he wouldn't let you join, mate seeing that there's this whole business on You-Know-Who. But me? First the Slug Club, now this? Are there any clubs there will take me in?"

"Look, I appreciate what both of you are trying to do but honestly, neither one of you have ever been interested in my club before," Hermione said, as both Harry and Neville gave her mock looks of hurt. "Why Dumbledore put Weasley in the group is up to him but going forward, I would like my organisation to be filled with future members who actually _care_ about elfish welfare. Besides, we can't take in new members just yet. All start-up school societies need to wait at least three months before we can officially start recruiting."

"But what if Weasley tries something?" Neville whispered.

"Hermione can handle him," Harry said as he beamed at Hermione, causing the familiar wave to surge through her body once more. _What's wrong with me?!_

"And as for the Slug Club, trust me, Neville; you're not missing out on much. I rather much spend my time with Dumbledore than with Professor Slughorn."

At the mention of Slughorn, an idea entered into Hermione's head.

"Actually, there is something that the two of you can help me with…" Hermione said as Harry and Neville listened in.

…..

"_Oh, Ron. Ron. Are you okay?" cried the sweet voice of Anastasia Travers, a seventh year in Slytherin. Her shiny, brunette hair floated gently in the breeze as Ron found himself lying on a field with nothing but mountains in sight. Ron could see that Travers had adjusted her skirt to incredible high levels as her long, smooth legs rubbed against each other. She had no robes on, her top covered in a small white blouse which had the first two buttons unbuttoned, allowing for a nice look at her cleavage while her midriff was exposed due to her tying up the ends of her shirt._

"_Anastasia?" Ron gulped as the witch gave a giggle before shooting him a seductive look. Dropping on all fours, the witch began to crawl towards Ron, whose eyes stared directly at her bosom, considered by most boys to be one of the largest in Hogwarts._

"_Oh, can't you see he's hurt?" cried a new voice as Ron found himself staring up into the beautiful face of Daphne Greengrass whose green eyes and shiny, blonde hair reduced Ron's words to a whimper. It was no secret that while Anastasia was widely considered to be the hottest witch in Hogwarts, Daphne was a close second. It was at that moment, Ron realised, that his head was actually being supported by Daphne's legs, a thought that sends shivers throughout his body and made an important part of him stiffer than it had ever been._

"_Oh, what happened?" Anastasia pouted as she placed two hands beside Ron's waist._

"_My stupid friend, Tracey, broke up with him. She could never really appreciate him like I do." Daphne whispered as Anastasia suddenly whipped her head up to give Daphne a scowl._

"_You mean like I do! No one cares for Ron more than me!" Anastasia growled as Daphne hissed back._

"_Ladies, ladies, please! There's no need to fight." Ron said as both Daphne and Anastasia turned to look at him, their faces now back to the gorgeous, smiling selves._

"_You're right," Anastasia said as Daphne gave a giggle. "Why fight for you when we can…share?"_

"_Share?" Ron gulped as Anastasia began licking her lips seductively while Daphne traced her fingers down his pants._

"_We can take care of you, Ron," Daphne whispered as Ron felt more aroused by the minute. "Both of us. Right now. Together."_

"_Together?" Ron gulped as Anastasia reached for his belt. _

"_Pleasure us, Ron." Anastasia moaned as she unbuckled his belt._

"_Make love to us, Ron," Daphne begged as Ron felt his heart pounding. _

"_We've been so bad, Ron."_

"_We want you, Ron."_

"_We NEED you, Ron!"_

"_Ron, please, PLEASE!"_

"_Ron!"_

"_Ron!"_

"RON!"

"Yes, girls. I'm here…" Ron murmured with a smile before Hermione rolled her eyes. Smirking to herself, Hermione pointed her wand at Ron.

"Aguamenti!"

A jet of cold water sprayed itself over Ron's face, causing the wizard to shoot up and splutter. "Bloody Hell!" Ron wiped his face before a scowl crossed his expression. "Why did you do that for?! Why did you wake me up! Argh!"

"So the potion works. Good!" Hermione said as she handed over the blue potion bottle to Ron, whose scowl remained.

"What is this?" Ron asked as Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"Sleeping Potion, remember? I got it from Slughorn's cupboards together with this!" Hermione said as she handed over a red potion bottle. "That's Harry's Draught of Living Death. In case, we need to reset the timeline, you can just drink a drop from it. Better than throwing yourself out of the window or having to come here to smash the cabinet." Hermione said as she pointed towards the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement.

"How do we know it works?" Ron said as he eyed the potion. "Maybe I should give it a shot."

"Trust me, it will work. You might not trust Harry but surely you trust Slughorn's judgment?" Hermione said as a temporary feeling of resentment fluttered through her. Although she trusted Harry, she still had issues with the Half-Blood Prince.

"Fine. Just let me get back to sleep again so we don't have to repeat this entire scenario of you passing me the bottles." Ron groaned as he spied his Quidditch gear on the floor. Urquhart had really put them through the motions and with him covering up for Draco as usual, the former had been particularly nasty towards Ron in the training drills. _Just like how I remember it to be _Ron thought bitterly before another thought struck his mind.

_Ginny_

In about a week's time, the ill-fated confrontation between him and his sister would take place. Ron had spent nights devising on how best to speak to Ginny, only for him to realise that he had a multitude of opportunities to do so. _There's bound to be one that works_ Ron thought as Hermione cleared her throat.

"Weasley!"

"What?!" Ron said as he turned his attention back to Hermione.

"I asked you how far you've come in finding out about Tom's previous locations," Hermione said as she pointed towards the piles of files before them.

"I've made a list!" Ron retorted as he pointed to the parchment on top of one of the files. Hermione reached for the parchment before giving out a groan.

"It's empty!"

"No, it isn't!" Ron said as he grabbed the parchment, only to see that it was indeed, empty with the exception of a single, unfinished word, Hogwa. He gave himself a mental smack, recalling how he had been distracted with thoughts of Ginny. Not wanting to give Hermione the satisfaction of being right, Ron pointed to the watermark on the parchment which had the Hogwarts logo.

"It isn't empty. See this word, Hogwa? That's my short form for Hogwarts!"

"So? We both already know that Tom was a student here!"

"Yeah, well, maybe he stuffed a Horcrux while he was here, haven't you thought about that?!" Ron said as Hermione raised an eyebrow. Letting out a groan, Ron stood to his feet and began to pace around.

"See, uh…well, if I was Tom, you know, a wizard growing up all alone in a Muggle orphanage which I despise, I would see Hogwarts as like my home. And you've once said that he would most likely place his Horcruxes in places which have meaning to him. What better place than Hogwarts, his first real home and a strong magical fortress?!"

"Righttt…" Hermione said as she rolled her eyes. "Way to go there, Weasley. "

"Oh, and I supposed you've gotten more done than me?!" Ron cried hotly. "How's it going in the Horcrux department?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron. "I have you know that researching Horcruxes, as well as Ravenclaw artefacts, is not easy. There are hardly any books or even pages referencing Horcruxes in the Restricted Section of the Library and –"

"Hah!" Ron cried, interrupting her. "So you've hardly made any headway as well and you're accusing me of slacking off?"

"At least I put in the effort!" Hermione snapped.

"What effort?!" Ron retorted as he removed his wand. "You might as well as done something as easy as this! Accio Horcrux books!"

Before Hermione could speak, Ron raised his hand. "Shhhh, let's give time for the books to come in, shall we?"

"If you're going to act like a child…" Hermione said as she rolled her eyes once more, making Ron even more incensed.

"A child! Please, I'm so sick of your judgemental face, Granger! You think you're so smart just because -"

BANG!

A loud noise outside the door of the Room of Requirement startled the pair. Hermione gave Ron a look and pointed to the red bottle. Nodding his head, Hermione made her way towards the door, opening it a little to peek out before letting out a gasp.

"What is it, Granger?" Ron asked as Hermione pulled the door open for an unusual sight to enter. An array of books made a beeline towards Ron, who gave a yelp, as the books descended in front of him with a bang.

"What the hell is going on?!" Ron said as Hermione pointed to a note written on the top of one of the books, the thickest amongst the rest and bound in faded, black leather.

"Next time, do just ask me for permission. D." Ron read the note as Hermione opened the book, which was titled Secrets of the Darkest Art. "This note must have been from Dumbledore. But why-" Ron began to speak before Hermione gave a yelp.

"This book…it gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux! But...it's a really horrible book! Really awful and full of evil magic!" Hermione said as she shut the book with a shudder before noticing the smirk on Ron's face.

"What?!"

"Summoning spell, Granger. Or did you forget?" Ron said as Hermione stared at him before letting out a groan of exasperation. Ron, however, had no intention of letting it go.

"Guess that's one for the Slytherins! Woohoo! I actually did something better than the Great Hermione Granger herself!" Ron said as he did a little dance before Hermione let out a growl.

"Fine! But do you realise what you've done?! You've summoned these books throughout the castle! Merlin only knows if someone else had seen them!" Hermione chastised as Ron glared at her.

"Oh please, you can't admit to when you're wrong! Besides, the Room is on the same seventh level as Dumbledore's office! I doubt anyone would have seen them floating about, considering how deserted this corridor always gets!"

"Well, next time think before actually doing the spell!"

"Oh for the love of Salazar, Granger, would it kill you to admit that I did something right?!"

"If you call getting lucky doing something right! I supposed you think you're right about Hogwarts being the location of a Horcrux!"

"Why the hell won't it be?!" Ron demanded as Hermione took a step forward.

"Because…have you forgotten the diary? The diary is the Horcrux linked to Hogwarts. Why would Tom want to put a Horcrux in the very place where students come to visit each day and where he intends the Chamber to be open?"

"Maybe he hid it in the chamber!"

"It would be too foolish to do so!" Hermione yelled as she threw her hands in the air. "The whole point is to separate these Horcruxes as far apart as he can so that no one can find them easily!"

"But he gave the diary to my uncle, didn't he?" Ron roared back. "Why do something like that? Why not just hide it at Hogwarts if he didn't really care much about it?!"

"Maybe that's why he came back that night. To put the diary back!" Hermione yelled as she pointed to the bag of memories. "That's why he wanted to become a teacher. To keep an eye on his Horcrux."

"I thought you said it was because he wanted to get something to make into a Horcrux. Besides, Dumbledore said that Tom had already known he be rejected for the role!" Ron cried. "So Tom knew he couldn't be a professor. There was some other reason he came here, maybe….maybe to put his other Horcrux."

"Without Dumbledore knowing? So he came all this way to the seventh floor to –" Hermione began to speak before she gasped. Her widening eyes caused Ron's anger to disappear for a moment as he stared at Hermione curiously.

"Granger, what are you…."

"Shhhh!" Hermione said, much to Ron's chagrin. Before the wizard could retort, however, Hermione gave a clap of excitement.

"You're right! How could I be so stupid?!" Hermione cried as she stared back at Ron with a smile on her face.

"Well..err…thanks for acknowledging I'm right but for curiosity's sake, what exactly am I right about?" Ron said as he scratched his head while Hermione heaved a small sigh before taking a seat on the couch.

"Now, don't let this go to your head, Weasley…"

"I make no such promises!"

"Whatever," Hermione said as she began to roll her eyes only to stop midway and softened her expression. "Look, I didn't want to say it before but what you said about Hogwarts being a place for a Horcrux does make sense. It was, as you said, a home for Tom and one of great importance. I've been trying to work out where he might have stashed one and at first, I thought the Chamber as well only that doesn't make sense. First, it would be far too foolish to put a Horcrux where another is linked especially considering if someone did find the Chamber, they would find the other Horcrux and well, realise that Tom made more than one. Besides, thinking back to that night, if someone looking like Tom were to lurk around in the second-floor bathroom, it would set off some bells."

"Not to mention, Myrtle might have seen him. Hey, maybe that's how she died and he used her to make a Horcrux!" Ron cried as Hermione stared at him incredulously. "What?"

"That…is a very, good thought, indeed! How are you doing that?!" Hermione cried as Ron gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"I've always been good at just linking things. Part of the chess brain, I suppose."

"Anyways." Hermione spoke though Ron noticed her expression looked slightly impressed. "so the Chamber would be out of the question but the thought of Tom returning back to Hogwarts kept nagging away at me. He _knew_ he wouldn't get the job. Why go through all this trouble to come back? It must have to do with Horcruxes. So then, I started thinking about our original line of thought. That Tom came back here not to make a Horcrux but to get one. One he had already seen before. In a place where everything is hidden. On the seventh floor where Dumbledore's office just happens to be."

"Where?" Ron said as Hermione gestured wildly about.

"Here! The Room of Requirement!" Hermione said. "It's the perfect place to find items lost in Hogwarts over the years! Not to mention, a good hiding place as well."

"Granger…" Ron said as he looked about the room. "That's….brilliant! But did he take something or did he leave something behind?"

"Did you ever see a locket or a cup missing here?" Hermione said as Ron shook his head. Standing up to her feet, Hermione grabbed the items and started placing them in her bags.

"What are you doing?" Ron said as Hermione began packing up.

"Come on! Let's asked the Room!" Hermione said as she grabbed his hand.

Minutes later, an amused Ron stood outside next to the tapestry as a frustrated Hermione continued to pace about the corridor.

"Granger, as much as I enjoy you doing this, don't you think we've wasted enough time?" Ron said, earning a glare from Hermione before the witch threw her arms up in the air in frustration.

"Okay, we know the room doesn't open up to the locket or the cup but how can we know it's not the Horcrux's powers?! And if it's an item of Ravenclaw's, which is it?! The only successful thing we've found out so far is that whenever I think about Ravenclaw's lost items, the Room of Hidden Things appear!"

"So then, it must be in the Room!" Ron countered as Hermione glared at him.

"We don't even know if it's still there. Tom could have taken it out and hidden it elsewhere!"

"Or maybe he just made a Horcrux and placed it there! Like he did with the ring."

"That's because the Gaunt shack is insignificant in the wizarding world, not like this school! It would make sense to hide a Horcrux there." Hermione cried before heaving a long sigh. "But I suppose you may have a point. I mean, where else would it be better to hide something in this castle? Whatever it is, we would have to find which item of Ravenclaw would Tom mostly use?"

"Why don't you ask Professor Flitwick?" Ron sighed as he stood next to Hermione. "Isn't he the Ravenclaw House Professor?"

"It's worth a shot." Hermione replied as she and Ron entered into the Room of Hidden Things. "Okay, so we have a theory. That the Room was used by Tom in some fashion. Okay now, Ron, we need more time. So you will have to go back and tell me all about our theory here."

"Fine." Ron said as he reached into his bag while Hermione pulled out the books that Dumbledore had given them.

"The first thing you have to do is convince me to go to Dumbledore's office and retrieve these books. Perhaps when we're in there, you can –"

A loud snore broke her train of thought as Hermione turned to Ron who was now sound asleep on the couch.

_Don't tell me he drank from the…._ Hermione thought as her eyes travelled to the blue potion bottle Ron held in his hand.

_Great._

….

**October 23, 1996**

As Ron blinked his eyes opened, he felt the familiar pain returning to his face. The side of his cheek where Urquhart had hit him still stung but that was to be expected. Ron recalled, while still in a daze, everything he had set out to do on this very day.

He had followed the chain of events as it happened in the timeline, not wanting to risk a deviation that may cause the latter to reset. He allowed Urquhart to hit him as he did before and despite already knowing what Draco was to do, Ron feigned ignorance and anger, arguing and insulting his cousin as he did in the previous timeline. Yet Draco was the furthest thing from his mind. So too was Hermione, Horcruxes and everything else. Instead, everything today rested on only one person.

_Ginny._

As a brother, Ron always wondered why he was so overprotective of his little sister. In another life, Ron could see himself as being jealous of her. After all, Ginny was doted on more by his mother and Aunt Narcissa as both witches yearned for daughters of their own. They would often bestow gifts on Ginny and while Draco was Aunt Narcissa's only child, even he could see how much his mother cherished Ginny. Draco often cited the example of his father's study where Ginny was found wandering about when she was younger. While the boys would get a tongue-lashing by Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa for trespassing on Uncle Lucius's private study, Aunt Narcissa only laughed off Ginny's misdemeanour, choosing instead to chastise Ron for allowing his sister to enter.

Such favouritism would in most cases lead to jealousy and yet, in Ron's case, he never found the need to be jealous or envious of his sister. Deep down, Ron knew why. His need to protect Ginny, to care for her, to ensure that she was okay stemmed from the simple reason that when she was younger, Ginny always saw Ron as her hero. Ron recalled with a smile, as he started to gather his surroundings, how Ginny often looked forward to seeing him, how she would run towards him and throw herself into his arms, how she would look to him for help and how, during stormy nights and bad days, she would seek the comfort of her older brother.

_I can't lose you, Ginny_ Ron thought as he leaned to the side. Suddenly, his body felt nothing but air as Ron toppled from his chair onto the cold, concrete floor of the classroom.

"Bloody hell!" Ron cried out as he got back to his feet. He remembered distinctively that he had _not_ walked towards the corridor where he would have encountered Ginny and Dean snogging but instead, using all of his willpower, to go back to his dormitory to sleep. Yet before doing that, Ron recalled Hermione's advice about the need to always create restoration points using his sleep and in doing so, Ron had taken a nap in this very classroom before proceeding with his plan to ignore Ginny.

"But that means…" Ron groaned as he hit his fist onto the table. It seemed that Time needed for him to confront his sister. _No matter_ Ron thought as he made his way out of the classroom. All he needed to do was to confront that disgusting sight before talking to his sister while keeping his temper in check. Taking a deep breath, Ron walked towards the corridor and sure enough, Ginny was there, locking lips with the disgusting Mudblood known as Thomas.

Cursing under his breath, Ron slowly made his way to the couple who were both unaware of Ron's presence. Not wanting to endure a second longer, Ron gave a loud cough which caused the pair to spring apart.

"Ginny," Ron said as he gritted his teeth. His sister was now narrowing her eyes at Ron while Dean, who looked bewildered for a moment, had settled upon glaring at Ron for interrupting his intimate moment. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"What is it, Ron?" Ginny said as she crossed her arms. _Don't look at Thomas, don't look at Thomas!_ Ron thought as he kept his eyes firmly on his sister. He could feel his temper rising and it didn't help that Ginny had the first button of her white shirt unbuttoned.

"It's about family stuff," Ron said as all of a sudden, Dean chose to speak up.

"Can't it wait? We're kind of in the middle of something, Weasley."

"Screw you, Thomas!" Ron yelled, unable to control his anger much longer. "Keep your fucking hands off my sister, you disgusting Mudblood!"

The effect of his words was immediate as Dean, not one to back down himself, rose to his full height and advanced at Ron who was now cursing himself for not being able to keep in control.

"Ron, can I talk to you?" Ginny snapped as she pushed past Dean to grab his arm. As soon as Ron locked eyes with his sister, fear surged within him. This was what happened in the previous timeline! Grabbing the red potion bottle out of his cloak, Ron flipped Thomas off before taking a sip of the deadly potion. As the darkness descended upon him while Ginny gave a scream of horror, Ron kept his eyes on his little sister before falling to the ground, dead.

…

"I played like a sack of dragon dung," Neville said in a hollow voice as Hermione exchanged a look with Harry.

"No, you didn't," Harry replied firmly. "You're the best Keeper I tried out, Nev. Your only problem is nerves."

"And that's the reason we're going to lose to Slytherin." Neville sighed as Harry let out a slight groan before looking at Hermione for help. For a brief moment, Hermione regretted following the boys to their training. There were, of course, many more important things to do especially with her search for the Ravenclaw item being a possible Horcrux. She had narrowed her choices to three items from Rowena Ravenclaw and though she had consulted Professor Flitwick, it seemed as if her search had hit a standstill. All three items were known to be long gone and the only reason she even chose those items was that their last known location was at Hogwarts.

"You'll be fine, Neville. If I recall correctly, you and the Gryffindor team did fine last year and that was without Fred, George, and Harry!" Hermione said as she placed her hand on her best friend's shoulder. She could feel Neville stiffen slightly under her touch as the wizard offered her a grateful smile. Next to Neville, Harry gave a slight chuckle.

"Oh sure, when _Hermione_ compliments you, you feel fine. But when I do it…"

As the two boys joked and laughed at each other, Hermione couldn't help but feel the familiar tingle return to her as she snuck a look on Harry's face. Despite her mind scolding her for not spending more time in the library, Hermione knew the real reason why she attended the Quidditch training. Watching him command his team while flying through the air, Hermione couldn't help but swoon over the sight of Harry. _Is this what falling in love feels like?_ Hermione thought as she felt her face blushing each time Harry turned to face her while flying before offering a wave. Hermione had tried her best to compose herself but nearly lost it when she spied a couple of fourth-years from her house talking and chatting about how good looking the Gryffindor Captain was. Not for the first time this year, Hermione felt the familiar growl of jealousy each time she spotted one of the witches trying hard to get Harry's attention. It even led to her being cold to him at times, a move which Hermione would often regret instantly each time Harry asked her what was wrong.

_And what was so wrong about it?_

Harry was her best friend. It was Harry who had saved her from the troll in their first year, Harry who had become her first real best friend. Her mother was right, Harry being her best friend and being the boy whom she knew best would be the perfect boyfriend for her. So why was she so bothered? Was it because she was afraid that Harry would reject her? Who else would Harry fall for? For a moment, Hermione's thoughts fell on Ginny Weasley but the redhead was in a relationship with Dean Thomas and it was going well. Was it because she feared that falling for Harry meant a change in their friendship dynamics? If anything, it would only make it stronger. So what was the reason why she shouldn't just tell Harry how she felt?

"Hermione, you okay?" Neville asked as Hermione got dragged out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine, Neville," Hermione said, as her heart sunk to the bottom.

_Of course. God, you're dumb, Hermione!_ Hermione thought as she offered Neville a smile even though guilt began to gnaw throughout her body. Before she could say anything, however, an unusual sight came across the trio. A wizard was seemingly running at full speed towards them and Hermione was even more surprised to see who it was.

"Granger!" Ron Weasley yelled as the trio stopped in their tracks. Both Harry and Neville were on guard, the two wizards glaring daggers at Ron who, strangely enough, did not seem to care. "We need to talk now! SPEW stuff!"

"What?" Hermione said as Ron panted heavily, being out of breath. "Surely there's a better time…"

"No, you have to come with me right now!" Ron snapped, reverting back to his Slytherin self as he grabbed her arm. Instantly, both Harry and Neville jumped between the two, both of them glowering at the tall redhead.

"The hell is your problem, Weasley?!" Harry growled as Ron glared at Harry before releasing Hermione's arm. For a moment, Hermione thought Ron would retaliate back with a retort yet instead, the wizard's expression began to soften.

"Look, now is not the time, Potter. What I have to talk to Granger about is urgent."

"Well, then talk!" Neville growled, with no intention of leaving Hermione alone. Ron rolled his eyes in a strange Hermione-like fashion.

"It's private, Longbottom! And you're not part of the club!"

"Since when do you care so much about SPEW, Weasley?" Harry countered hotly. "For all we know, you just want us out of the way before pulling something on Hermione."

"Do you think that I would confront you three if I intended to do something like that?!" Ron snapped. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"On a scale from one to ten, I say about…Goyle." Harry replied as Neville gave a laugh. Seeing that Ron's patience was wearing thin, Hermione decided to intervene.

"Okay, we can talk here. You guys go on ahead." Hermione said, much to the shock of Harry and Neville.

"You can't be serious-"

"Are you kidding, Hermione?!"

"I'll be fine," Hermione whispered as she pulled the two wizards aside. "Look, I'm grateful for the two of you wanting to stay with me but there's no need for it. Besides, you're messing with my plan."

"What plan?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

"I'm trying to get Weasley to slip up and tell me….if Malfoy is really a Death Eater," Hermione whispered as Harry's eyes began to bulge. On the other hand, Neville gave Hermione a suspicious look.

"Why do you care about Malfoy being a Death Eater?"

"Because-" Hermione cried in exasperation. "Because if Harry is right and Malfoy is a Death Eater, then maybe we have proof that it was him who tried to kill Katie Bell. Weasley may be his cousin but at the moment, he isn't too happy with Malfoy. I may be able to take advantage of that but nothing will work if you two stay by my side!"

"I don't know about this…" Neville spoke as he looked at Harry. Harry gave Hermione a slight frown before reluctantly nodding his head.

"We'll wait for you in the common room," Harry said loudly as Ron rolled his eyes. Neville said nothing but as he walked past Ron, Ron could see the wizard glaring daggers at him.

"Whatever," Ron grunted as soon as the pair was out of sight. Turning his attention back to Hermione, Ron grabbed her arm.

"Hey!" Hermione protested as Ron dragged her into a nearby classroom. "What's your problem, Weasley?!"

"Ginny," Ron spoke as he removed his hand away. Throwing himself onto a chair, Ron buried his head into his hands. "Granger, I need your help."

"What about Ginny?" Hermione asked as she took a seat in front of him. She was surprised to see that Ron's eyes were watery as the wizard ran his fingers through his crimson hair.

Ron let out a sigh as he raised his head. For the first time, Hermione could see the sadness lingering in his blue eyes.

"Ginny and I got into a fight before this whole time-travelling business. The fight…well…it was bad. Real bad."

"What was the fight about?" Hermione asked

"Doesn't matter."

"Ron."

"Why does it matter, Granger?!" Ron barked as he crossed his arms. "It was a fight, a stupid fight! And I've tried to change it, I've tried to change it so many times. I tried not meeting her, didn't work. I've tried not losing my temper, didn't work. I've tried talking to her, didn't work. I've been doing this for at least thirty times already! It's just not bloody working!" Ron cried as he slammed his fist against the table, startling Hermione.

"Well then, this must be one of the things you can't change," Hermione replied.

"Why the hell not? I mean, back in the original timeline, she and I didn't speak. We didn't interact. Ginny plays no important part during this year, Hermione. She and I just stayed apart. So why the hell does Time care if she and I talk or not?"

"Well…" Hermione started to speak before stopping herself. "Well, let's go through it step by step. You need to tell me first what the fight was about. What the _original_ fight was about."

Ron hesitated for a moment before relenting. He could see Hermione frowning as she listened to what he said.

"Good grief, Weasley. Why would you say all that for?"

Ron gave Hermione a scowl. "I was pissed, all right?"

"And you don't want her to date Dean because he's a Mudblood? You're going to let your own bigotry get in the way of your sister's happiness? Not to mention you basically called her a Mudblood whore."

"Exactly! That's why I need to fix things. I didn't mean that the first time. I was just angry about…Quidditch." Ron said hastily. "This isn't about bigotry, Granger."

"Really?" Hermione whispered angrily. "Because I know you, Ron Weasley. Even though you and I have to work together, you're still the same person I've known for the past six years."

"It's not about that…"

"Honestly! You could at least stay away from terms like Mudblood. How anyone can still think in such a manner is quite frankly, mind-bogg-"

"It's about keeping her safe!" Ron snapped as Hermione's expression changed to one of surprise. "You do realise that at the end of this year, Dumbledore dies, right? That means that the war has swung in the way of the Dark Lord. What do you think Tom will do if he finds out that a Pureblood is in relations with a Muggle-born?"

"So you want Ginny to stay away from Dean so that she can be safe?" Hermione replied incredulously. "Weasley, your sister is a big girl. She can make her own decisions. Besides, Tom already knows which side Ginny is on. Do you think he's going to spare her life?

"He might. All I know is that if Ginny continues to date Dean, she might as well put a sign on her forehead that says, blood traitor." Ron replied. "So are you going to help me or not?"

"Help you with what?"

"With Ginny, dammit!"

"There's nothing to help!" Hermione cried. "You can't change the timeline, Weasley."

"Fine," Ron said coldly as he glared at her. "I knew it would be a waste of my time coming to you."

"Weasley," Hermione said as Ron made a beeline to the door. "You know that it's useless to fight against this. So stop being a prat about this and just accept it."

"She's my sister, Hermione!" Ron cried as he suddenly rounded up on her. "My sister! Do you know what that fucking means? It means she's the only real family I have left. And I should accept that my sister wants nothing to do with me? You heard what I said, right? She wants nothing to do with me. Not one bleeding fucking thing! And I'm supposed to just…accept it? Not to mention, I'm practically shoving her towards Thomas. Great job there, Ron."

"Ron…" Hermione whispered, hoping that using his first name would calm him down. "I know it's hard but it's Hannah Abbott all over again. You can't change the timeline. Like it or not, your fight with Ginny is a milestone that cannot be altered."

"Do you know what the worst thing was, Hermione?" Ron said as he ignored her words. "It wasn't what she said that was so bad. Not even how she said it. It was the way she looked at me. Like I wasn't her brother, not even someone she knew. All my life, my sister has always looked up to me, looked out for me, looked for me. I love her more than anything else in this horrible, cruel world. She's my sister, my best friend, the best parts of who I am. I was her hero. And when she looked at me, the _way _she looked at me…bloody hell…it was like I was a stranger. No, worse. It was like I was a monster."

Hermione could see Ron trembling all over as tears started to flow down his cheeks. There was no anger in his voice, only guilt. In all of her years knowing him, Hermione had never seen Ron looked so fragile. Instinctively, Hermione placed her hand onto Ron's.

"Why can't I change it?" Ron whispered. "How does Ginny affect the timeline?"

"Not the timeline," Hermione replied as Ron looked back at her. "You. Ginny affects you and you are important to the timeline. Not having Ginny around affected you in some way and that affects the timeline."

"So I'm supposed to just let it all happen?" Ron said as he threw himself back down onto a chair. "Just let her slap me? And for me to say all those awful things to her?"

Hermione said nothing as she took a seat next to Ron.

"I'm sorry, Ron. Really, I am. You're right. I have no idea what it must be like for you. But you can't change this, Ron. You can't. There's a reason why Time doesn't let us change the past. The only thing you and I can really do is just to move on. But I do know one thing. I know that your sister loves you, she does, Ron and no matter what she says or how she looks, that will never change."

"You said my first name twice now." Ron blurted out as Hermione gave him a bemused look.

"Well, since this timeline isn't going to happen, I guess I never really did," Hermione said as she offered Ron a smile, one in which Ron returned if only for a moment. "Speaking of which, before you go back, would you like me to get her down here?"

"For what?" Ron asked as Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Maybe you might want to have one last speech before you alter this timeline? Like for closure?"

"No." Ron sighed. "It will be too hard." Letting out a groan, Ron removed the red potion bottle from his robes. "Might as well get this over with."

"Ron, wait," Hermione said just as Ron was about to drink the potion.

"What?"

"Idon'tthinkyou'reamonster." Hermione whispered hastily as Ron gave her a puzzled look.

"Huh?"

"I don't think you're a monster." Hermione sighed as Ron stared confusedly at her. "Even though you are an arse and a Slytherin bigot, you're not a monster. You're just someone who made some mistakes along the way."

Ron stared at Hermione in disbelief for a long moment before smirking at her.

"Thank you, Hermione," Ron said as Hermione's eyes widened.

"You said my name!" Hermione cried in shock while Ron gave a chuckle.

"Well since this timeline won't exist, it will be like I never did," Ron replied, smirking as he drank the potion while savouring the affronted look on the face of the bushy-haired witch.

…..

**October 26. 1996**

It was game day. Breakfast was the usual excitable affair as the Slytherins hissed and booed loudly at every member of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall. Hermione glanced at the ceiling and saw a clear, pale blue sky: a good omen for Quidditch though Hermione couldn't care less about the sport. Instead, her attention was on two boys across from her at the Gryffindor table which had become a solid mass of red and gold with much chatter and excitement surrounding it.

"How are you both feeling?" Hermione asked tentatively, her eyes staring at Neville. The past few weeks haven't been kind to Neville, who was often prone to his nerves getting the better of him in many areas. While Neville didn't seem too bothered by those, Quidditch was another matter entirely. Hermione couldn't grasp what people found so wonderful about it. One good game and you heralded as a hero, one poor game and you'll be tormented by your peers. Why anyone would want to put themselves through all that was beyond her.

"Fine," said Harry, who was concentrating on handing Neville a glass of pumpkin juice. "There you go. Drink up." Hermione kept her eyes on Harry, who looked really good in his Quidditch uniform. It was then that she noticed the glint coming off the small bottle from his hand

"Don't drink that, Neville!" Hermione spoke sharply as both boys turned to her. She gave Harry an incredulous look.

"Why not?" Neville asked as Hermione turned her attention to Harry.

"You just put something in that drink."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I saw you. You just tipped something into his drink. You've got the bottle in your hand right now!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Harry, stowing the little bottle hastily in his pocket.

"Neville, I warn you, don't drink it!" Hermione said again, alarmed. Neville took one look at Harry before eying the drink.

"Harry, what did you put inside?"

"Don't worry about it," Harry said as he gestured for Hermione to follow him. Harry then whispered something into Neville's ears, causing the boy's eyes to widen.

"Harry, we can't…"

"Neville, just trust me, alright. Hermione, let's talk."

Once she and Harry were out of Neville's earshot, Hermione hissed at him. "You should be expelled for that. I'd never have believed it of you, Harry!"

"Hark who's talking. Confunded anyone lately?"

"That was try-outs, not an actual game!" Hermione snapped back as Harry smirked at her. Despite her anger, Hermione could feel the stomach twisting at the sight of his handsome face.

"Okay, look," Harry whispered as he took out the bottle, grinning broadly. "I didn't put it in. Look." Harry slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out the tiny bottle that Hermione had previously seen in his hand. It was full of golden potion and the cork was still tightly sealed with wax. "I wanted Neville to think I done it, so I faked it when I knew you were looking."

"Why?"

"Because Neville's only problem is his nerves, Hermione. He's very good at what he does when he doesn't let them get in the way. Look at Herbology, for one thing. And we both know he's a good keeper, Neville just lacks confidence."

"That's…actually brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed as Harry beamed at her. _God, he's cute_ Hermione thought.

"Good luck today, Harry!" cried a voice as Hermione's thoughts were interrupted. Her eyes fell on a fourth-year witch with long, dark hair and equally dark eyes who gave Harry a sickening smile. Something inside Hermione roared as she glared angrily at Romilda Vane, who seemed to be ignoring her. "I'll know you'll be brilliant."

"Thanks…" Harry said as he gave Hermione a questioning look. Instead, Hermione's eyes were fixed on Romilda's left hand which seemed to innocently brush against Harry's.

_Stay away from him!_ Hermione thought as jealousy ran throughout her body. Before she could say anything, Romilda had walked away.

"That was weird," Harry spoke as he stared at the departing Romilda who gave him a wink. Inside her mind, Hermione's thoughts were racing as an internal discussion raged in her head.

_She thinks she can steal Harry away!_

_Steal Harry? You've hardly even acknowledged your feelings, let alone talk to him, Hermione._

_But everyone knows he's my best friend._

_So? He's a free agent. You've said it yourself, Harry's never been more fanciable. Lots of girls here would kill at a chance to date him and you're his best friend but you're too scared to make a move?_

_You know why we can't make a move._

_Because of Neville? Are you going to let Neville get in the way of your happiness? Who's to say Neville would disapprove? He's your best friend too._

_I just…I just can't._

_Then talk to Neville. He'll understand. At least talk to him first._

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Harry said as he gave her a look of concern. Before Hermione could reply, Neville had joined them.

"Harry! It's working!" Neville cried excitedly as he beamed at them, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"It is?" Harry and Hermione cried in unison.

"Yes! As soon as I drank it, I felt this weird sensation rising through my chest like I can do no wrong. Then I started to notice the signs. Well, first, the weather is looking good so that's always going to be beneficial to us. Then, Ginny tells me that the Slytherin Chaser Vaisey is out — he took a Bludger in the head yesterday during their practice, and he's too sore to play! And even better than that — Malfoy's gone off sick too!"

"What?" Harry exclaimed "He's ill? What's wrong with him?"

"No idea, but they're playing Harper and according to Ginny, he's an idiot," Neville replied brightly.

"Did you know about this?" Harry said as he turned his attention to Hermione.

"How could I possibly know about that?"

"Because you're working with Weasley, remember? Did he say anything about Malfoy?"

"Like Weasley would tell me things." Hermione scowled as her mind turned to Ron. Ron's fight with Ginny had been a hot topic amongst the students since it happened nights ago and while Ron didn't have much to say about the matter, it did affect the search for the Horcruxes. Most nights, Ron would appear moody and sullen and no matter how much she tried to encourage or even provoke him into a fight, Ron wouldn't change. Hermione even tried talking to Ron about trying to make amends but as usual, his Slytherin pride got in the way of that. The only good thing was that they had narrowed down the Horcrux to being Ravenclaw's diadem as the most likely object.

"Well, the good thing is that Ginny's going to be highly motivated to beat Ron this time. No holding back." Neville spoke as Harry nodded his head.

"I suppose but still…Malfoy?"

"Let's talk about it after the match, shall we?" Neville replied before turning to Hermione. "Can I talk to you about something? Harry, you go on, ahead. I'll meet you at the pitch."

"Sure." Harry shrugged as he walked away, leaving Hermione staring at Neville who was now awkwardly twiddling his thumbs.

_Tell him, Hermione. Tell him right now._

_Right before the game? Are you insane?_

"Hermione," Neville spoke, dragging her out of her thoughts. "Look, I just want you to know that I only took a sip of the potion. I know how you feel about –"

"Neville, it's okay," Hermione said, cutting him off. "You deserve a break, Neville and besides, I don't really care much for Quidditch as I do for you."

"That's…good to hear," Neville replied with a strange expression on his face as his ears turned pink. "Well, I'm not sure how long my good luck is going to last but I'm going to make the most of it when I can. So there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What is it?" Hermione replied as Neville gave an awkward pause

"Hermione," Neville spoke at last. "I was wondering if maybe…I mean…if you wouldn't mind…would you like to go with me to Hogsmeade…this weekend?"

"Okay. And Harry?"

Neville's ears were now red, as was his face. "Actually, I was wondering if it could be just the two of us?"

Hermione felt a lump in her throat.

_No, just no. Not now._

_You have to tell him now, Hermione! He's asking you for a date._

_It will break his heart._

_Better now than later!_

_I can't! Neville thinks he drank the Luck Potion. If I say no, then he will know for sure._

_You can't say yes!_

_I have to._

_Hermione, no!_

_I can't lose Neville._

"Okay." Hermione replied as she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. As Neville's face brightened up considerably, Hermione felt sick to her core. She wondered if she should just tell him that they were going as friends. That would certainly lessen the blow, wouldn't it? Yet in a cruel form of irony, luck wasn't on Hermione's side that day as Neville spoke up again.

"Hermione, just to be clear. I'm asking you…on a date." Neville mumbled out as Hermione cursed herself internally. No, she couldn't go through with this. Absolutely not. It was one thing to lie to someone but this was Neville, her best friend. The same boy she met on the Hogwarts Express and whom she had been friends with for six years.

It was all too much for Hermione to bear.

"A date?" Hermione repeated as Neville's face fell slightly.

"Yes…Hermione." Neville sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair before taking a step closer to her. "Look, I'm lousy at this. Big surprise there. And I would never ever, in a million years, try to do something like this now, especially now just before the game but like I said before, with the Luck Potion on my side, it seems like there's no better time to do this. I've always thought the world of you, Hermione. You're amazing and funny and wonderful and well, the truth is…Hermione…I want to ask you out on a date because I've had …"

"Yes, I'll go out with you!" Hermione exclaimed, not wanting to hear anymore as she threw her arms around Neville who froze on the spot.

"Let's just keep this between the two of us, okay?" Hermione whispered into his ear as she felt Neville nodding next to her. "You should go. Harry will be worried." Hermione said as she pulled away from him. Neville, still reeling from the hug and Hermione's answer, could only nod as he slowly turn to walk away, only to change his mind as he turned back to Hermione.

"Speaking of Harry…"

"We'll figure that out later."

"Of course," Neville said as he grimaced at the thought in his head. "It's just…well…I just have to know. Is there anything going on between you and Harry?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Cause if there is, then I don't want to get in between the two of you."

"Neville." Hermione sighed as she gave him a smile. There was nothing she wanted more than for the conversation to end. "Just go win us the game. We'll talk later."

"Okay," Neville said as a wide grin broke on his face before he took off towards the Entrance Hall. As Hermione watched the wizard leave, a powerful, piercing sensation struck her heart as if she had just made the worst mistake of her life so far.

…..

"Get out of my way," Ron said as he ran up the stairs of the Gryffindor tower, ignoring the puzzled looks and dirty glares of the Gryffindor students who were surprised at his presence. Yet, Ron couldn't be bothered to give a crap. He had just played the most grueling game of his life which affected him physically but unsurprisingly, emotionally as well. The sight of his sister charging towards him with the Quaffle in hand and the death glare in her eyes was something Ron never wanted to face again. Despite the dirty tactics employed by Urquhart, the Slytherin team couldn't get past Neville who surprised everyone who came to watch. Not only did Neville put on a match-winning performance, but Potter had caught the Snitch, causing Slytherin to lose by a huge score and causing Urquhart to take out his anger on the team.

All of that would be enough to send Ron back to his bed where he intended not to leave for forty-eight hours. Yet there was something he needed to do first, something of utmost importance. As he finally stumbled in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, Ron realised just how foolish he had been.

_I don't know the bleeding password!_

Ron's eyes caught two second-years huddled in a corner. Raising himself up to his full, intimidating height, Ron marched over. Just as he was about to open his mouth, a voice broke out from behind him.

"Weasley! What are you doing here?"

Ron turned to find himself face to face with a bright red Seamus and a slightly woozy Lavender Brown. From the sight of their dishevelled clothes and hair, it didn't take much for Ron to deduce what they had been up to.

"Finnigan," Ron replied curtly as Seamus glared at him. "I need you to call Hermione Granger. There's something we need to discuss."

Seamus cocked an eyebrow at him while Lavender, strangely enough, was staring at him with a strange look on her face, almost as if she was checking him out.

"Why? What could you possibly want with Hermione?" Seamus asked icily.

"That's none of your business," Ron replied coldly as Seamus glowered at him.

"Well, I would to help you out, Weasley because let's face it, there's nothing more than I like helping Slytherin losers like yourself. Unfortunately, I and the rest of MY house are too busy celebrating Gryffindor's victory over your team. So take care!"

Lavender gave a giggle as Seamus gave her a smirk, no doubt trying to show off for her. For a moment, Ron wondered if he should just punch Seamus. Any consequences could easily be erased by time. Yet a quick glance at his watch told him that he needed to move quickly and fast.

"Listen here, you prat, Dumbledore wants to see Hermione Granger. Apparently…something's happen to her parents." Ron lied as he savoured to look of shock and guilt on Seamus's face. The Daily Prophet constantly reported a stream of disappearances and deaths and with Hermione's status as a Muggleborn, Ron knew Seamus wouldn't dare take the risk of not believing him.

"I'll go fetch her." Lavender blurted out as her face looked slightly distressed. Ron had forgotten that Lavender was a roommate of Hermione.

"Why would he send you?" Seamus asked as he narrowed his eyes at Ron who rolled his.

"Because I happen to be around and Hermione and I are part of that stupid club," Ron said as Seamus continued to stare but did not say anything. Suddenly, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open as Hermione came out together with Harry and Neville.

_Great._

"What happened to my parents?" Hermione demanded as Ron felt slightly guilty about using them as part of his ruse. After all, his own parents had died. Yet there was still the problem of Harry and Neville who were now by Hermione's side.

"She just wants to meet you in his office," Ron said as he nudged his head, hoping Hermione would get the hint. "I have to go up there too."

"Okay then, let's go." Harry said as he ignored Ron.

_Fuck_

"You and Longbottom can't go, Potter. The matter is private. I'll accompany Granger to the Headmaster's Office." Ron said as he motioned for Hermione to follow him.

"We'll tag along." Harry cried defiantly as Ron let out a frustrated sigh.

"No, you can't."

"Why the hell not?!"

"Like I said, you git, it's private!"

"So then we just accompany to outside his office then!"

"Oh, for the love of Salazar!"

"WHO CARES!" Hermione bellowed out as everyone stares at her. "Let's just go!" Hermione said as she made an attempt to walk towards the stairs, only to be blocked by Ron.

"Wait!" Ron said as Hermione nearly crashed into him. "I lied. There's no news about your parents. I just wanted to get you out here because Finnigan was being an arse."

"What?!" Hermione said as she glared at Ron.

"Weasley, that was low," Neville spoke out at last. "Do you have any idea how worried she was?!"

"Yeah, yeah, worried," Ron replied hastily. "Look, we need to talk about SPEW? Okay? Now, come on, Dumbledore wants to see us."

"Ron?"

_Great._

Ron turned to find himself coming face to face with Fred, George, Ginny, and Luna.

"What are you doing here?" George asked bitterly. Ron ignored his brother, his eyes falling on his sister who looked shocked to see him at first, only to glare back at him.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Luna spoke. "Ron's here to meet his sister."

"No, I came to meet Hermione," Ron exclaimed in exasperation.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Luna asked

"WHAT?!" cried several voices in unison as Ron instinctively grabbed for his red potion. _ Forget this, I'm repeating the timeline._

"I'm not Ron's girlfriend!" Hermione blurted out. "We just have to work together!"

"But you two do spend an awful lot of time together." Luna reasoned.

"We don't spend that much time together!" Hermione snapped. "Believe me, I rather work with anyone else than Weasley."

"Right back at you," Ron replied dryly.

"Luna, Ron would never date Hermione." Fred l spoke as he gave Ron a menacing smile. "Not after what he thinks of Ginny and Dean."

"Right." Ron sighed, averting his gaze away from Ginny. "I'll meet you at the bottom, Granger," Ron said, not wanting to spend waiting here a second longer. As he walked down the steps, he could hear the soft pattering of the witch chasing him down the stairs. As soon as he reached the bottom, Ron motioned for Hermione to follow him to the nearest empty classroom.

"Honestly, next time just send someone to go fetch me," Hermione replied huffily as she entered the classroom. "Is this about the diadem? Or Horcruxes?"

"No, it's about Longbottom," Ron said as he peered outside the classroom before closing the door.

"Neville?" Hermione cried in surprise as Ron glanced at his watch. "What about Neville?"

"You're going to have to break his heart today," Ron replied in a nonchalant manner.

Hermione's eyes widened as a lump began to form in her throat. _Did Ron know about the discussion Neville and I had?_

"Excuse me?" Hermione said as Ron folded his arms, his blue eyes narrowed at Hermione. "What do you mean I have to break his heart today?"

"Later tonight, Longbottom will try to get you alone with him. He will then confess his feelings to you and for some reason, try to kiss you. You, however, will tell him off. Longbottom will feel dejected because you've rejected him. You try to pacify him but unfortunately, you have to tell him that you and Harry lied about giving him the Luck Potion. Neville will then get upset that you lie to him which will then later get worse when you tell him that you love Harry instead."

Hermione gaped wordlessly at Ron for a moment. "But…how…"

Ron heaved a sigh. "Because, Granger, we've been through this five times already. The first time you came banging outside the Slytherin common room to try to get to see me. The next few tries I catch you outside of the Quidditch locker rooms and we've tried over and over again. I've had enough, Granger. It's obvious to me that you and Longbottom are supposed to have fallen apart like you did in the original timeline."

"We did?" Hermione whispered softly as Ron nodded.

"I didn't know what exactly happened of course but Pansy told me that Longbottom caught you and Potter snogging and that's what caused this whole mess."

"Harry and I kissed?"

"I don't know," Ron said as he threw his hands in the air. "I mean, Pansy tends to exaggerate, of course. All I know is that you and Longbottom split up tonight."

"But why Neville?" Hermione said and as soon as she did, a sense of guilt travelled through her. She recalled that Ron had spoken about both Harry and Neville were important to the timeline but Hermione had never specifically asked why Neville was important.

Ron narrowed his eyes at Hermione before giving her a shrug. "Longbottom gets poisoned next year. It's no big deal."

"WHAT?!" Hermione yelled as Ron glared at her to keep quiet. "What do you mean, he gets poisoned?!" Hermione cried, ignoring Ron.

"He gets poisoned but he survives so don't get your knickers in a twist," Ron replied. "Anyways, that's when the two of you patch things up."

"We do?" Hermione cried softly, the image of a poisoned Neville still fresh on her mind.

"Yes." Ron sighed. "So just get this whole ordeal over with, will you?"

"Wait!" Hermione exclaimed, her expression turning into a frown. "How does Neville getting poisoned affect the timeline? And for that matter, why is it important that Time keeps us apart? Is it because without me there, Neville won't get poisoned? And again, why is that significant?"

Ron pinched his nose as he shut his eyes. Part of him wanted to tell Hermione that it wasn't Neville getting poisoned that was important but rather who accidentally poisoned him. Ron had no intentions of telling Hermione what Draco was really up to.

"Look!" Ron barked firmly as he stared at Hermione. "I can't tell you what happened in the original timeline, not everything at least. You just have to trust me. You and Neville fighting is important to the timeline and time doesn't want us to change that. So do what you need to do, accept it and move on. And besides, this is your own fault."

"My fault?!" Hermione snapped as she glared at Ron who rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Granger, your fault. You should have told Neville this year ago. Remember our fourth year? You knew back then that Neville was starting to like you. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know if it was for real!" Hermione cried. "I wasn't going to risk my friendship with Neville for something I wasn't sure of."

Ron gave a dry laugh as he shook his head. "Please, you were hoping that Neville would just get over his feelings for you so you wouldn't have to say anything. And you call yourself a Gryffindor."

"At least I'm not some lying Slytherin like you!" Hermione replied indignantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron snapped, his ears turning pink as Hermione took a step towards him.

"Oh, like you don't know. Seducing me with some fake story about your parents just to get the photograph back."

Ron gagged as he glared at Hermione. "Seducing you? Please. I did what I had to do. And besides, you fell for the old Weasley charm, didn't you?"

"Please. I was just feeling sorry for you. And while we're on the subject of breaking hearts, are you ever going to break up with Tracey or are you just going to use her just like you use women, Weasley?"

"What I do with Davis is none of your business, Granger!" Ron growled.

"Then stop being a hypocrite!" Hermione snapped.

"At least my relationship doesn't mess up the timeline. At least I don't lead boys on for two years before being forced to finally confront the truth." Ron retorted.

Hermione looked positively livid. "Lead boys on?!"

"You knew he was starting to fall for you. You were the one to lie to him just this morning about going on a date with him, all because you didn't want him to know that Potter never put the potion in. You raised the stakes for this when all you had to tell Longbottom that you would talk later. Or give him a hug or something. Why would you even agree to go on a date with him?"

"Because then Neville would know that he didn't take the potion. I wanted to tell him on our date itself that he and I were just going to be friends."

"You mean to say you wanted more time to figure out what to tell him," Ron replied. "Like time is going to make this better. No, Granger, when a boy like Longbottom falls for you, no matter how nicely or delicately you put it, no matter how you say it, rejection is still rejection. And it's going to hurt. What makes it worse is when you give it more time."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but then she stopped herself, her face a mixture of anger and uncertainty.

"Granger," Ron spoke once more as his expression softened. "You remember when Ginny and I fought not too long ago? And you know how much I care for her? Don't you think I would have changed that if I could?"

"But you could. You can time-travel." Hermione replied as Ron shook his head.

"No, I couldn't. Time didn't allow me too. In the end, I had to accept it and just let the fight happen. And you know who convince me to do that? You." Ron said as Hermione's eyes widened.

"I did?"

Ron nodded his head. "You did and just as you always are, you're right, Granger. I couldn't change things. I couldn't prevent Hannah from losing her mother. I couldn't prevent Ginny from hating my guts. There's a reason why these things happen, Granger. We just have to accept it."

The pair stared at each for a long moment with neither saying a word. Finally, Hermione relented by nodding her head.

"It's just going to be so hard," Hermione whispered as Ron felt a strange emotion flowing through him. "How do you tell someone who loves you that you don't love them back?"

"There's no right way to say it." Ron sighed as he thought of Ginny. "All you have to do is remember that as long as they love you, they'll come back. Go back and talk to him now. I'll wait here until it's done."

"Now, I have to do it now?" Hermione said as Ron glanced at his watch. _It's nearly time._

"No time like the present."

….

Trepidation had started to set in as Hermione climbed the steps up to the tower. Her heart was pounding in her chest. As Hermione passed by Gryffindor students, all of whom were happy and laughing in the aftermath of Gryffindor's victory, Hermione felt a piercing pain stab at her heart once more. _ Relax, Hermione_ Hermione told herself _Ron says that the two of you eventually patch things up. This is all just going to be temporary. Just do it quick, like ripping off a bandage._

As she neared the top of the stairs, a sudden thought struck her mind. _Harry. Ron said that Parkinson told him that she heard about Harry and me kissing. Wait, does that mean I also tell Harry about my feelings tonight?_

Hermione had half a mind to turn back to find Ron, only for someone waiting at the top of the stairs to call him.

"Hermione!"

Hermione stared up at the hazel-coloured eyes of Neville Longbottom who seemed to have been waiting for her to return. He gave her a smile as Hermione felt her heart plummeting deep within her.

"Hey, Neville. What are you're doing here?"

"Waiting for you," Neville said as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "Is everything okay? What did Weasley want?"

"Everything is fine," Hermione said as she eyed the Fat Lady's portrait. The last place she wanted to do this would be in the Gryffindor common room surrounded by happy and excited faces.

"Neville, would you follow me? We need to talk."

Minutes later, Hermione found herself in an isolated corridor with Neville, not too far from where Ron was waiting. They were both seated on a stone bench with a portrait of a knight kissing a lady's hand in front of them. Hermione glared at the picture, the cruel irony not lost on her.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Neville asked, his face still slightly sweating. Hermione felt a lump in her throat, unsure of how to proceed.

"Well firstly, congratulations! I knew you had it in you, Neville!" Hermione spoke as Neville beamed at her.

"Thank you. I have to admit, even though I know that was the Potion working, I have to say, it felt good having the crowd in my favour for once. Really good!"

"You've earned it. You're amazing, Neville, you really are." Hermione said as Neville's ears turned pink.

"No, I'm not. It was the Potion." Neville said as Hermione let out an internal groan. She hated whenever Neville did this, always putting his achievements under as if they meant nothing. Before she could stop herself, Hermione spoke once more.

"There was no Potion, Neville. It was all you." Hermione said as Neville gave her a puzzled look.

"Huh?"

Hermione took a deep breath before explaining the events that took place earlier this morning. At first, Neville gave her a doubtful expression but after looking into Hermione's eyes and realising the truth of her words, Neville's eyes began to widen. Hermione braced herself for a scolding. Instead, she was surprised to see that Neville looked extremely happy.

"So all that was me? All those saves? Me?" Neville spoke as Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. _So far, so good._

"Yes, Neville, that was all you," Hermione said as Neville began to look relieved.

"Thank Merlin!" Neville cried as he gave her a smile. "To be honest, Hermione, I was worried for a moment that once the effects of the Luck Potion were gone, you might have second thoughts about going out with me but since there was no Felix, it's all true!"

"Neville…" Hermione spoke but Neville seemed to have not heard her. Instead, Neville spoke once more, his brown eyes now holding a determined look as Hermione noticed how he had started to lean in.

"I knew I should have just said something after the match but the truth is, I just didn't know if it was the right time. Funny thing, time. All this time I've been so scared to say out my feelings when I should have done it two years ago. You remember the Yule Ball, Hermione? How pissed I was that you went with Krum? I wondered why it bothered me so much then and now I realise, it's because, well deep down, I was starting to have feelings for you. But I didn't want to ruin our friendship so I just sort of buried it deep inside me. But now, with everything happening in our lives, with a war that's coming and You-Know-Who up and about, it seems foolish to hold back. I like Hermione, more than a friend and that's why I want to go on this date with you."

Hermione felt the pain in her heart increasing tenfold as soon as Neville finished his speech. Without realising it, Hermione began leaning in, wanting to give Neville a hug. Unfortunately for her, Neville read the situation wrong, his head leaning in instead, his lips getting ever so close to hers….

"Stop!" Hermione cried as soon as she realised what Neville was doing. Instinctively, she had raised her right hand, blocking him from coming closer. Neville looked shocked at her response and as soon as her hand touched his chest, Neville recoiled back with such force that Hermione was surprised he didn't hit the wall behind him.

"I'm sorry, Hermione!" Neville blurted out, his face flushed red. "It's too soon, I know. Merlin, I'm a prat, aren't I? I'm sorry, Hermione. So sorry!"

"Neville, please!" Hermione cried out, her eyes close to tears. "Please don't apologise. You're going to make it worse."

"I'm…" Neville bit his lip in an attempt to stop, his eyes now focusing on Hermione's expression. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

"Neville…"Hermione whispered, unsure of what to say. No, she already knew what to say. It was how to say it that was bothering her. Ron's words flooded into her head as Hermione recalled how Ron had told her that it didn't matter. Either way, Neville was going to get hurt.

"Neville, I'm so sorry but I only see you as a friend. As a best friend." Hermione blurted out, her eyes turned away from Neville's face. "I can't let this go on, Neville. I'm so sorry."

Warily, Hermione turned her eyes slowly towards Neville, his expression turning from shock to being completely unreadable. Hermione watched as Neville's expression turned into a frown.

"Then why did you agree to go with me on the date? Didn't I make it clear we were going as friends?"

"You did," Hermione said hastily. "But I didn't want you to be…unfocused during the game, especially when you thought you took the Luck Potion. Neville, I care for you deeply, truly I do and it pains me to say this to you when I wish I could say otherwise but I'm not in love with you, Neville. I only see you as a best friend, a brother to me. And to be honest, I always suspected you have a crush on me, Neville, and I should have said something earlier, Merlin knows I should! But I was scared and that is no excuse but at least it's the truth."

"Then why did you agree to go on the date with me? Why not just say something or do something else?"

"Because…" Hermione said as she rubbed her hands. "Because I wasn't sure what to do or say. I needed time to figure things out. I thought maybe I could tell you at Hogsmeade, maybe make it easier for you?"

"Wow, that's funny," Neville spoke though there wasn't a hint of humour in his tone as he narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "You know for the brightest witch of our age, you sure can make some stupid decisions."

"Neville –" Hermione spoke but Neville cut her off.

"So this whole thing was a lie. You wanted to play with my feelings?! And what's worse, you knew, _ you knew,_ that for two years I liked you and you said nothing?"

"Excuse me!" Hermione cried indignantly. "Don't put this all on me. You didn't even tell me you liked me! How I was supposed to know if it was true?! For all I know, I could have been reading into things!"

"But not today, did you?" Neville growled. "This morning, you knew! You knew I like you and instead of being honest with me, you lied so that I could help Gryffindor win the game! Do you know how….wait a minute…" Neville spoke in a low voice as a thought struck him. "Were you lying this morning to help me? Was it just because of the Luck Potion or was it something else?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. "I did it for you. I wanted you to have a good day today."

Neville's face darkened considerably as he glared at Hermione. "Really? So it wasn't because you wanted Gryffindor to win? It wasn't because of Harry?"

"Harry?!" Hermione cried as she stared at him, her stomach now twisting in knots. "No, Neville, it was because of you."

"Tell me the truth, Hermione." Neville demanded as he stared directly at here. "Tell me you didn't do it for Harry."

"No, of course not."

"Do you like him?"

"Of course, he's my friend!" Hermione cried automatically.

"I don't mean as a friend, Hermione!" Neville snapped. "I mean, do you have feelings for Harry?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment. Her mind was screaming at her to lie, to say anything that would help Neville feel better, anything to salvage their relationship but no words came out of her mouth. In the end, she didn't need to say anything. The moment of pause, the look in her eyes told Neville the truth of the matter in more ways than words ever could. To her horror, Neville's face no longer held an expression of anger. Instead, his eyes were filled by a more devastating emotion.

Pain.

"Neville." Hermione finally whispered as tears began to drip down her face. Instead of replying, Neville simply looked away as he stood to his feet. Walking to the opposite wall, Neville turned to face her, his eyes brimming with tears as he heaved a sigh.

"You know," Neville spoke though he didn't look at her direction. "Harry and I actually had a discussion just now about how we were worried that Luna may have been right about you and Ron. Though I didn't believe it, it didn't mean that the thought didn't hurt. I mean, can you imagine falling for the guy who tormented and bullied you for six years? But then, a thought occurred to me that gave me some comfort. That at least, at least, if you fell for Ron, it wouldn't hurt as much as if you fell for Harry."

Hermione said nothing as she looked down, her eyes firmly planted on the floor.

"Now, I don't even have that. Everything I was so scared about had come true and what makes it worse is that I actually have to open my big, fat mouth because I thought…I thought…I was under Felix's influence. Now, I just don't know what to do." Neville whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Neville." Hermione whispered though she didn't look up. "I never wanted to hurt you. You're my best friend."

"Please stop saying that!" Neville barked so loud that Hermione flinched under his tone. "That's what's making it worse, so much worse. All my life, I've been a loser. I suck in class and I keep making the simplest mistakes all the while you and Harry get all the credit, all the adoration. But I didn't mind. You're my friends and I will always support you. But it sucks, you know. It sucks whenever my Gran talks about Harry and you but she's always so hard on me. It sucks having to speak to my parents who can never recognise me anymore. It sucks that my whole life, I've been begging for a win and now, when I thought I had one, Harry takes that too. Harry gets the fame, Harry gets the fortune and now, Harry gets the girl."

"Neville," Hermione spoke up as she stared at him. "Neville, I still care so very much for you and so does Harry. So very much."

"I know. Believe me, Hermione, I know." Neville sighed. "And I'm not blaming Harry, of course not. He's my best friend. But sometimes, I just wish, things could be better for me."

With that, Neville turned to walk away, only for Hermione to call out to him.

"Neville, wait! Wait, we need to talk about this." Hermione pleaded as Neville stopped in his tracks, though he did not turn around.

"I won't say a thing to Harry, you can if you want to," Neville spoke in a low voice as Hermione watched him lift his arm to wipe against his face. "And I'm going to stick by him because Merlin knows, he'll need the both of us. But you and I….I can't see myself being best friends with you again. I'm sorry, Hermione." Neville said as he began to turn around, only to stop himself halfway. "Goodbye Hermione Granger."

Her mind was screaming at her to say something, to run after Neville and grab him by the arm and try to make him see sense. Yet all she did was watch him walk away, step by step as Hermione closed her eyes. She could still remember the first time she met him on the train, all those years ago when Neville was just a stranger who lost his toad. With that came all the memories of Neville and her, how much they sacrificed for one another, how much they helped one another. When Neville finally disappeared from sight, Hermione buried her face in her hands as she sobbed silently in the middle of the isolated corridor.

…

**October 29, 1996**

"You had no choice, Granger," Ron said as he threw yet another text of Dumbledore's on the ground. Ron recalled Hermione forcing him to go to sleep once she returned from her incident with Neville. As he wasn't sent back into the past, time had restored itself once more but at a heavy cost. For the next three days, Hermione had kept all to herself and while Ron enjoyed taking a breather from having to do research, they were still on a time-sensitive mission. In the end, Ron had managed to convince Hermione to meet up in the Room of Requirement though it had taken a threat involving Dumbledore that finally got her to do so.

Hermione said nothing as she waved her wand around a Sneakoscope, muttering words while reading off a dusty, old volume that she had taken from the Library. _We're never going to get anything done with her distracted_ Ron grumbled internally.

"What are you doing there, Granger?" Ron asked as he took a seat next to Hermione who instinctively shifted slightly away. Somehow the reaction annoyed Ron as he grabbed Hermione's wand from her grasp.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Hermione yelled as she made an attempt to grab back her wand. Unfortunately for her, Ron's reflexes were quicker as he dodged her weak attempt before placing the wand on his opposite side.

"I'm trying to work here while you're acting like an idiot, Granger. It's been three days. Get over it." Ron cried sharply as Hermione glared at him.

"Give me my wand back, Weasley," Hermione whispered dangerously as she scowled at him.

"Nope," Ron smirked as he took the wand in his hand while rising to his full height. "If you want the wand back, you'll have to get it yourself. And oh, admit you're being an idiot about all this."

"Weasley!" Hermione cried sharply as she leapt to her feet. "Give me back my wand!"

"No."

"Weasley, last chance!"

"What are you going to do?" Ron taunted as his grin got wider. "Kiss me again?"

Hermione looked shocked for a moment before a tiny smile broke on her face. She walked up towards him, her smile and eyes making Ron feel uneasy. As she leaned in, Ron could see her hazel eyes looking expectantly at him. To his ever-growing surprise, Hermione began to lick her lips.

"Granger, what are you…" Ron spoke, only to be cut off by Hermione's finger on his lips. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest while he caught the scent of Hermione's apple-scented shampoo from her hair. For a brief moment, Ron wondered if Hermione would actually kiss him. The thought should disgust him, of course, as it did three years ago and yet Ron recognise the feeling of expectation growing in him, almost as if his body wanted it to happen. It also didn't help that in this right moment, Hermione Granger actually look –

BAM!

All thoughts of Hermione Granger kissing him were swiftly gone from his mind as a powerful sensation emerged from his nether regions, causing Ron to collapse on the floor in pain while releasing the wand from his grasp. As he winced in pain from the impact of Hermione's knee on his groin, Ron glared angrily at the witch who was now twirling the wand in her hand while giving him a smug look.

"That's no less than you deserve, Ronald Weasley." Hermione cried icily as she threw herself back on the couch.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?!" Ron yelled as he slowly made his way to a seated position. "Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"Consider it payback for when you kidnapped me the first time to come here. Not to mention all those times you were mean to me."

"Oh, go screw yourself, Granger," Ron growled. "I was only trying to help. You were acting like a whiny brat just because Longbottom decided to dump your arse. If you ask me, it was a good thing that he did."

"Oh, just shut up, Weasley." Hermione snapped as Ron glared back at her.

"Don't tell me to shut up! I honestly don't see what the big deal is. You're going to patch things up with him in the future. Consider this a break from Longbottom. Salazar knows you both need it!"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Hermione retorted.

"Last I checked I'm a boy, aren't I?" Ron replied as he felt a sense of relief at the subsiding pain between his legs. "Look, you told Neville the truth and while he may hate you for it now, sooner or later, he's going to be grateful for it. Because now, Neville can finally move on to other girls without thinking of you and him. Besides, like I said, you and Neville eventually patch things up and Neville can find himself a girlfriend and you can finally chase after your Harry."

"He's not my Harry," Hermione replied automatically as she studied Ron's expression. "Wait, you've seen the future or rather the past. Who does Neville end up with?"

Still angry at being kneed in the groin, Ron wanted to tell Hermione that Neville ended up with no one and spent the rest of his days pining over her. Yet seeing her expectant face and knowing nothing good could possibly come up from prolonging the issue, Ron relented.

"Luna Lovegood," Ron said as Hermione's eyes grew wide. "He gets together with Luna."

"Oh," Hermione replied, her face looking slightly relieved. "Well, that's…that's good for him."

"If you say so. I mean, Loony? Personally, I think –"

"-that it's good Neville found someone nice to be with." Hermione finished his sentence as Ron merely gave a shrug. "Thank you," Hermione spoke in a low whisper as Ron arched his eyebrows before giving a nonchalant grunt.

"Sorry about hitting you," Hermione said as she gave him a sympathetic look, causing Ron's expression to soften.

"It's alright. Not the first time someone's done that to me." Ron grinned as Hermione smiled back. Not wanting there to be any awkward tension, Ron cleared his throat.

"What were you doing with that Sneakoscope anyways?" Ron asked as he pointed at the device.

"Oh!" Hermione cried as she picked the Sneakoscope in her hand. "I got the idea yesterday apparently when Harry and I talked about how your brothers were sneaking in Love Potions into the school."

"My brothers are doing _what_?" Ron asked.

"Sneaking in Love Potions disguised as perfumes and cough potions. To be honest, it's quite ingenious actually."

"But wouldn't Filch be able to detect them?" Ron asked as Hermione shook her head.

" Secrecy Sensors detect jinxes, curses, and concealment charms, don't they? They're used to find dark magic and dark objects. They'd have picked up a powerful curse, like the one in the necklace, within seconds. But something that's just been put in the wrong bottle wouldn't register."

"The necklace," Ron repeated as he gave a slight cringe. Hermione heaved a sigh.

"Yes, Harry's been going on and on about how your cousin is now a Death Eater."

"Well, he's not!" Ron cried indignantly. "So tell Potter to mind his own damn business."

"I did, actually," Hermione replied coolly as Ron gave her a look of surprise. "I told Harry there was no way Tom would actually allow him to become a Death Eater. I mean, Death Eaters. They're a part of his Inner-circle, aren't they? And who in their right mind would ask someone like Draco to be a Death Eater? What could he possibly pull off?"

"Right," Ron spoke before changing the subject quickly. "What does this have to with the Sneakoscope anyways?"

"Well," Hermione said as she smiled at the object in her hand. "The Sensors gave me that idea. Look, even if we could prove that Ravenclaw's diadem is part of Tom's Horcruxes, you can bet that Tom would have hidden it well. Not to mention, the locket and the cup. So what we need is something that can detect Dark Magic, something like this Sneakoscope over here. I modified it using a spell allowing it to detect objects with powerful Dark Magic and since Horcruxes are part of that category…"

"…we can use it to detect Horcruxes! Hermione, you're brilliant!" Ron cried as Hermione gave him a strange look. "What?"

"You said my name," Hermione said as she grinned at Ron. "I believe that's the first time you said my name."

"Oh," Ron replied, remembering that the Hermione from the past timeline didn't exist. "Well, don't get used to it, Granger!"

"Oh, come on, Ron!" Hermione replied as Ron cringed under the use of his name. "I think since we're working together, we can at least go on a first-name basis. Besides, using your last name is just confusing since I know your brothers and sister."

"Fine but I'm not calling you Hermione," Ron said adamantly as Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "We're just partners in this but that's all there is to it. We're not friends, Granger. Don't forget that."

"And to think you nearly wanted to kiss me," Hermione said, causing Ron to nearly fall off his couch.

"What? I wanted you to kiss me?! Please, I rather be dead. Dead with no Horcruxes to keep me alive so that I can never…what?!" Ron barked as he glared at Hermione's eyes widening at a thought.

"Ron, you're brilliant!" Hermione said as she stood to her feet. "I know a way of how we might have a lead on the diadem."

"How?" Ron asked as Hermione grabbed his arm before pulling him to his feet. "The diadem is lost, Granger. No one has seen it in living memory…"

"Exactly! Isn't it obvious?"

"Yeah but maybe you should say it so I know you know."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she reached into his robes before pulling out the blue sleeping potion.

"We need to talk to someone who's dead."

…

Ten tries. It took them ten tries before finally, the Grey Lady decided to reveal everything that she knew about the diadem. Each time, the Grey Lady had shrugged them off and each time, Ron had to turn back time while trying to rectify any mistakes in anything they said that would put her off. In the end, to say the pair were shocked was an understatement. Finding out that the Grey Lady was none other than Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of Rowena herself, was one thing but that she had actually given Tom the diadem was nothing more than a stroke of good fortune.

"Wait, so the Grey Lady knows who Tom really is?" Hermione asked as Ron stretched his arms out wide.

"Yeah, apparently, Tom managed to charm her into telling him where the diadem is before defiling it with Dark Magic. The Grey Lady was so upset at what happened that she never told anyone." Ron replied.

"But that means… the diadem is one of the Horcruxes! We did it, Ron! We know all seven." Hermione exclaimed triumphantly.

"Well, technically, this is all just an educated guess on Dumbledore's part. We won't know more until he tells Harry to get Slughorn's memory from him." Ron said

"Still, it's good enough for now. Okay, so we have Tom, Nagini, the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, and the diadem." Hermione spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. " The diary and ring are destroyed and we definitely can't get to Nagini or Tom for now. That leaves us with the locket, the cup and the diadem, one of which we believe is here in the Room of Requirement."

"Okay," Ron said as he stood up to his feet. "What do we do now?"

"Well, the first thing we have to do is to leave this Room. We need the Room to transform into the Room of Hidden Things so that I can find the Horcrux using my Sneakoscope. Meanwhile, you need to go to Dumbledore."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because we need the sword of Gryffindor."

"Oh, right!" Ron exclaimed, recalling how Dumbledore had told him that the sword can be used to destroy Horcruxes. As he stood to his feet, Ron found himself to be rooted on the spot.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione said as she gathered her stuff. "Ron?"

Ron said nothing as he stared blankly into space, his eyes narrowed towards the door of the Room of Requirement.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Hermione said as she took a step towards him.

"We're really doing it, huh. Stopping the Dark Lord." Ron whispered though he hadn't moved to face Hermione. "We're really going to destroy his Horcrux."

"Why else would we be doing this?" Hermione said as Ron slowly turned to face her.

"It's just…if I do this…if I go through with this, then there is no turning back." Ron sighed. "I mean, so far everything we've done has just been in theory, you know. If we find the Horcrux and we destroy it and time allows that to happen, then that means there's no turning back. It's either we destroy Tom or we die, Hermione."

"I thought that's what you wanted," Hermione said softly as Ron gave a bittersweet smile.

"All I wanted was to keep Draco and Ginny safe."

"Then this is how we do it, Ron," Hermione said as she suddenly took his hand. Instinctively, Ron wanted to pull away and yet somehow, it felt comforting to feel the witch's hand in his as Ron turned to face Hermione.

"We're just kids," Ron whispered, recalling the speech he gave Draco on the train. "We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves, learning about magic and preparing for our NEWTs, not fighting in some bloody war. Don't get me wrong, I know what I…we have to do but it's just…this is the Dark Lord we're talking about. What if we tried to destroy this Horcrux and it doesn't work? What if time doesn't let us? Sure, I can travel back in time but what if just one time, it doesn't work and I actually die for real? And I never get to talk to Ginny again? Or see Draco? I know it gets easier drinking out of the red bottle each time but that doesn't mean the thought doesn't cross my mind, you know?"

Hermione gave Ron's hand a squeeze as she stared at him. The thought never crossed her mind before but she understood why Ron would be feeling that way. For the past six years, Ron never defied Voldemort or stood to him. He wasn't part of the DA nor was he part of the Golden Trio's adventures. Ron was essentially a new player in all of this and if Hermione were in his shoes now, she couldn't blame him for feeling this way.

"You're right, Ron. We're just kids. And if things were normal, you and I would probably be off in our own lives, probably hating each other to bits while we live normal lives. But things aren't normal because of _him_. And they never will be. I may not know him as well as Dumbledore or Harry or even you but I know tyrants like Tom. He's cruel and evil and he treats everyone the same, even his closest supporters. Tom will _never_ stop hurting people, Ron and that goes for you, me, Harry, Neville, Ginny and Malfoy. We're all in this together, whether anyone likes it or not. So if you want the world to be safe, then this is how we do it. Even if Time won't let us destroy the Horcruxes, then at least we'll have the knowledge of where they are and how to do it. That way, if not us, then someone in the future can finally stop him."

"You really believe we can do it? You really think we can…win?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"I believe we can," Hermione replied. "Like it or not, this is our destiny."

Ron let out a mirthless laugh. "Destiny? Don't tell me you believe in that load of Divination dung?"

Hermione made a face. "Not Divination, no! But ever since what happened with Neville and with Ginny and you, I believe that sometimes, our paths are just meant to take certain routes. We can't change what has happened or what needs to happen but we can definitely have a say in it. So let's do it, okay? Let's give it our best shot."

"Okay." Ron said as he released his hand from hers, causing Hermione to feel slightly disappointed for some reason. "Let's go save the fucking world. Shit, I've become like Potter, haven't I?"

"Honestly, Ron. Language!" Hermione chastised as she made a face while heading towards the door. As she turned the knob, Ron could see a small grin breaking out on her face.

"But yeah, let's go save the world."

…..

**END OF CHAPTER FIVE**

**P.s, now that I've gotten all that stuff about Ginny and Neville out of the way, I can finally focus fully on destroying the Horcruxes and more importantly, Ron's and Hermione's relationship. But fair warning, the two just recently started warming up to each other. It's still going to take time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As this story is essentially an AU, this is where I deviate from canon with regards to Horcruxes. While we see how the diary and locket affect people, I thought it might be interesting to give each of the Horcruxes their own powers. In this chapter, you will see just how devastating a Horcrux can be.**

**Another thing I like to mention is that in my story, you will find quite a number of Easter Eggs such as quotes or scenes from famous stories, movies or television shows. Some of the material I used was simply too good not to include. Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this story so far. Thank you for your views and feedback! I really appreciate it! Please review my story if you can.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story.**

**CHAPTER SIX: THE DIADEM, PART ONE**

"_Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies. You must know this, Dumbledore." - Lord Voldemort, the Half-Blood Prince._

.

.

Ron let out a yawn as he rubbed his eyes. He could make out the comfy, red couch in which he had rested his head as his eyes adjusted to the sight before him. Around him stood stacks and stacks of items, from old books with broken binders to dusty kettles with rust growing all around. Ron raised his arms as high as he could, stretching himself out before standing to his feet. No doubt, he was still in the Room of Hidden Things.

"Grang- I mean Hermione!" Ron called out, trying to recall why he had sent himself back this time. As he scanned the rooms for signs of the bushy-haired Gryffindor, his eyes stuck itself onto something in the distance. Walking towards it, Ron realised that he was staring at a chipped bust of an ugly, old warlock. As he stared at it, a strange feeling spread through Ron, as if there was something missing, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Ron continued to inspect the warlock from every angle as inside his head, he tried hard to recall the last thing he did.

"That's strange," Ron said, to no one as he continued to walk about the room. As far as time travel went, Ron had no issue with recalling what the previous timeline was. Yet something wasn't quite right. Walking through stacks and stacks of books, Ron felt the wave of anxiety spreading throughout him. Something was very wrong with this picture.

"Hermione, HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed at the top of his lungs as he took off at top speed around the stacks. Nearly tripping over a bundle of broomsticks on the floor, Ron cursed out loud before realising the solution to his problem. Grabbing one of the broomsticks, an old Cleansweep by the looks of it, Ron hurled himself onto the broom and took off into the air.

"What the fuck?" Ron said out loud as he soon as he rose to the ceiling of the room. Ron knew the Room of Requirement was large, probably one of the largest rooms at Hogwarts but from his angle, it seemed to go on for miles. As he floated in the air, Ron could make out stacks and stacks of items, piled up one on top of the other, like large towers going on forever. What was even more peculiar was that Ron couldn't see how the Room ended, its four walls hidden past the towering stacks as if Ron was in some vast valley with the lights of the Room looking more like the sun towering over the horizon. Turning himself to what he assumed was the wall where the door might be, Ron started to fly.

_What the hell is going on, Hermione?! Where the fuck are you?_ Ron thought as he sped above the towering stacks, praying the end was hidden out of sight.

…..

"Come in." Dumbledore sighed as he pushed away the Daily Prophet from his desk. The door to his office swung open with Professor McGonagall together with Hermione Granger. Dumbledore narrowed his blue eyes at the latter, whose face was looking quite distressed.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Albus, but Miss Granger here wishes to see you regarding some urgent matter about her organisation." McGonagall spoke sharply as she eyed the young witch. "I told her you were busy but it seems Miss Granger is quite insistent," McGonagall spoke once more as Hermione gave her professor an apologetic look. Dumbledore took a moment to glance at the empty glass box where the Gryffindor sword was kept before turning to the pair.

"That's quite alright, Minerva," Dumbledore said as he smiled warmly at Hermione. "I will take it from here."

"Is this something that concerns my House, Albus? Because if it is, then I should stay as well."

"No, no, it's quite alright. I told Miss Granger to come and see me about any developments concerning her club. Thank you for bringing her here." Dumbledore replied as his eyes twinkled at McGonagall. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore's face before nodding. It was clear to him that whatever was happening had nothing to do with S.P.E.W.

"Very well," McGonagall said as Hermione thanked her. Before leaving, Professor McGonagall shot Dumbledore a look which made him chuckle internally. Even after years of knowing each other, the Transfiguration Professor had her _I-know-you're-up-to-something-Albus_ look down to perfection and knew better than to continue pursuing the matter. Once the door closed, Dumbledore turned to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, how did it go?" Dumbledore asked as Hermione took a step forward.

"Please, Sir, you need to come with me. Something's gone wrong with Ron!" Hermione said, in a pleading matter.

Under normal circumstances, Dumbledore would have left immediately to handle the matter. If anything should happen to Ron, or to any of his students, Dumbledore took their safety with the utmost priority. But this was wasn't normal circumstances. If he did something to intervene in any way, Albus knew he might be changing the timeline. What he needed to do was to calm the young witch down and approach the issue with rationality.

"Tell me what happened first, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said as he waved his wand for some tea to be poured from his teapot. "Here, have a drink of this," Dumbledore said as he motioned for the cup to float towards Hermione.

"Sir, please, we can't waste any more time. We really need to go." Hermione begged as she shook her head frantically at the cup.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said in a comforting manner. "As you are well aware of Ron's condition, time won't let anything happen to him. However, if I were to intervene without knowing all the facts, that could be detrimental. So right now, before I proceed, I need to know everything that transpired. The tea will help, Miss Granger, I promise you."

Hermione stared at Dumbledore blankly before reaching for the tea with her trembling hands. Taking a sip, Dumbledore noticed that a calming sensation had come over Hermione's features while her hands, while still trembling were doing so only very slightly.

"Start from the beginning. Tell me what happened with the Horcrux." Dumbledore said as his twinkling blue eyes met those of the bushy-haired witch.

….

**A few hours ago**

"Damn it, Hermione," Ron said as he felt the weight of Gryffindor's sword weighing his back down. "We've been at it for hours! Are you sure your contraption actually works?"

"Of course it works!" Hermione snapped as she kept her eyes on the Sneakoscope. "It just needs time. There are other Dark objects in this room, you know."

"Exactly!" Ron retorted as he glared at the Sneakoscope which now pointed them to yet another cupboard. Flinging it open, Hermione stared inside before her eyes spied what looked like a necklace chain. Using her wand, the necklace floated into the air. Unfortunately, there was no locket at the end of it, causing Hermione to toss it away with a growl.

"Another Blinding necklace!" Hermione groaned as Ron eyed the necklace. According to Hermione, Blinding Necklaces were all the rage back in the late forties where boys or girls who were suspected of cheating were given these necklaces. Once worn, the wearer would suffer from temporary blindness if the wearer had been cheating in his or her relationship. Not exactly evil but still, the item was considered to be part of the Dark Arts.

"Bloody hell, that's it!" Ron said as he threw himself on a red couch while tossing the sword to the side. "Let's just take a break, okay. I'm starving."

"You know you can just go back in time, right?" Hermione said as she glared at Ron who glared back at her. "Save us the trouble."

"Look, I'll do that once we find the damn thing, okay? Besides, with all the walking I've been doing, don't be surprised if I drop dead from exhaustion. Or starve to death."

"Please," Hermione said as she rolled her eyes. "You went down to the kitchens just before you got the sword!"

"And all I've eaten are three bread rolls, Hermione!" Ron snapped before throwing his hands into the air. "Can we just take a break? Just a short break?"

"Fine!" Hermione cried sharply as she took a seat on an old, rocking chair. Truth be told, Hermione was tired as well, not to mention, she needed to block out any thoughts that her Sneakoscope idea might not be as effective as she expected it to be.

As she sat, Hermione focused her eyes on the lanky redhead who was now complaining about the state of his sore feet. She recalled back in her second year how she thought Ronald Weasley was an enigma and even now, even with what they had just gone through, Hermione still couldn't figure out the wizard. Ron's status as a Slytherin was unique, given where his brothers had all gone in and while Ron couldn't give a damn about them, he seemed to care deeply for his sister. It wasn't strange that siblings or cousins were separated into different Houses in Hogwarts. Some of the Slytherins had siblings in other houses as well. What was strange was that despite it being the case, Ron never looked down about his sister. Hermione had seen Slytherins mocking their other siblings while being pushed to different houses, screaming curses about betraying blood and yet that never mattered to Ron, at least not when Ginny was concerned.

"What are you staring at?" Ron spoke out, causing Hermione to tumble abruptly out of her thoughts.

"Just wondering…about your brother, Percy?" Hermione spoke without giving it much thought as Ron narrowed his eyes at her.

"What about him?" Ron said, looking both confused and suspicious at the same time.

"Just wondering if the two of you get along like you and Ginny?"

Ron scoffed. "Percy can go do whatever he wants. He's cold to me, just like he is with the rest of us. Percy only cares about Percy."

"But aren't you friends with Pansy?" Hermione said as Ron gave a shrug.

"Pansy hates Percy. She thinks that Percy has now become their parents' favourite even though he's not of their blood. But that's Percy for you. He's always been a suck-up."

"I see," Hermione replied as Ron narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you getting at, Granger?"

"Nothing!" Hermione cried defensively. "I'm just wondering about your family, that's all."

"Right…" Ron said, not believing a word of hers. "Then tell me about yours then," Ron demanded as it was now Hermione's turn to shrug.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything," Ron said. "Who are your parents? When did you discover magic? How is it like for a witch inside a Muggle's home?"

"Well, my parents' names are Edward and Catelyn Granger," Hermione spoke. "We live in an apartment in Kensington. My parents are both dentists who run a little practice not far from our place."

"Dentists?"

"Teeth healers," Hermione explained, not wanting to go into detail. "We're not very rich but we get by comfortably. As for me, I began to show signs of magic when I was about two. Apparently, I kept levitating quite a bit. I used to give them such a fright whenever my mother would come in to wake me only to see me floating about two feet off the bed." Hermione said with a laugh as a smile spread across Ron's face.

"Yeah, that's like one of the first signs of magic," Ron said. "Wait, so what happened?"

"Well, because my parents knew nothing about magic and since they were dentists, they tried to find a rational solution to what was happening to me," Hermione replied. "Unfortunately, when logic failed them, my father actually called in a priest."

"A priest?!" Ron cried in shock. Even though magic had a secular nature to it, many wizards and witches did still practice their religions. "Why in Merlin's name would they do that?"

"They thought I was possessed by demons," Hermione said with a laugh. "Luckily, before that could happen, Professor McGonagall showed up."

"Thank goodness!" Ron cried as he and Hermione shared a laugh. "I can actually picture a priest throwing holy water on you."

"Tell me about it." Hermione scowled. "At first, my parents just didn't believe it was true. Not until Professor McGonagall showed them signs of her magic. I can't remember what she did but that's what happened according to my mother. At first, my parents were hesitant to believe it but they had to give in eventually. There was no changing who I was and if they chose not to send me to Hogwarts to control my magic, bad things could happen."

"Yeah," Ron said, recalling how he had learnt about Obscurials. The rejection of magic, especially in powerful witches and wizards, came at a high cost.

"But my parents didn't want me to go to Hogwarts, according to my mother. They had plans to take me to some private school while hiring some wizard tutor to help me with my magic."

"Really?" Ron said, looking stunned. It wasn't uncommon but rarely did that happened as far as Ron knew.

"Yes." Hermione sighed. "But it was only for a year. After that, my parents decided to send me to Hogwarts after all. They said someone from the Ministry had come to visit them and managed to change their minds."

"That's good. Hogwarts is the place to be." Ron said as he stared around the Room. Hermione nodded her head. If there was something she and Ron agreed on, it was that they belonged at Hogwarts. It never occurred to her until now just how much she appreciated the place and so did Harry, Neville and even Tom himself. Hogwarts was home to them all, a place that every wizard and witch who were lucky enough to attend would cherish it greatly.

"Well, it seems like you had quite a good life, Hermione," Ron said quietly as Hermione noticed his sad, blue eyes. "Your parents are alive and well and everyone you love is as well. Better appreciate that before it's all gone."

"Not everyone," Hermione replied as Ron stared back at her. "I lost someone too."

"Who?" Ron asked, his voice a mixture of curiosity and…_was that concern?_

"My grandfather, Thomas Granger," Hermione spoke as she trembled slightly. "He died when I was very young and I can't remember how he was like when he was alive but I felt it, you know. That feeling that someone is missing in your life. So even though I can't truly understand what you must have gone through, Ron, I know how that feeling feels like."

"Hermione," Ron spoke before shutting his mouth. Hermione could see that Ron wanted to press the issue further but it seemed that something was stopping him. Seeing the expression of concern on his face, Hermione felt something rising inside her. She had never spoken about her grandfather to anyone, not even to Harry.

"Let me show you something," Hermione said as she raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum!" Hermione exclaimed as a burst of white light emanated from her wand before taking the form of an otter rolling about on the floor.

"Wicked!" Ron said as he stood to his feet. "You can cast an actual corporeal Patronus?! But that's like NEWT-level standard!"

"Not just me but almost everyone in the DA can," Hermione said as she giggled at the sight of her otter now sniffing about her shoes before disappearing into thin air. "I could show you if you want."

"Really? Because that would be fucking amazing!"

"Honestly, Ron! Language!" Hermione cried as she and Ron exchange a look before breaking out into light laughter.

"Do you want to know why it's an otter?" Hermione said as Ron shook his head. "Well, that's because the otter is my favourite animal. When I was younger, my grandfather used took me on one of his fishing trips. One time, I was just messing around when I fell into the water. For a moment there, I thought I was going to drown until my grandfather jumped into the lake and rescued me. I've been terrified of the water ever since."

"Well, I'm terrified of spiders," Ron said as he gave a shrug. "Childhood fears are always going to scare us."

"True." Hermione agreed. "Anyways, when he brought me back onto the boat, I was in such a state of fright. To calm me down, my grandfather pointed to a creature at the edge of the lake. He said I swam just like it."

"Let me guess, the creature was an otter," Ron said as Hermione nodded.

"From then on, I've always love otters. My grandfather used to call me that all the time, his little otter and he even bought me plush toys shaped like otters. I supposed that's why my Patronus always comes in the shape of an otter. It always reminds me of my grandfather who would do anything to protect me."

"A Patronus is supposed to keep you safe so that makes sense," Ron said quietly as he placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder. Before he could say anything, Hermione spoke up again, anticipating the question that was on their minds.

"My grandfather died on his job, Ron," Hermione whispered as she felt Ron's hand giving her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "He was a detective, like a Muggle Auror you know, and my mother told me that Grandpa was on duty when he was shot in some clandestine undercover drug bust somewhere in London."

"Someone took your grandfather away from you?" Ron whispered as Hermione nodded. As tears formed in her eyes, Hermione felt two strong hands wrapped themselves around her body. There was a sense of warmth, of comfort in Ron's arms that Hermione had never felt before.

"I know what that feels like," Ron whispered. Hermione recalled how Ginny had told her about her parents being killed by Dark Wizards. As Hermione hugged Ron tighter, she was reminded about just how many of the people she knew had loved ones taken from them by others. People like Ron. Like Neville. Like Harry.

_Harry!_

With a jerk, Hermione pulled herself away from Ron's arms abruptly, thinking about how Harry would feel if he knew his hated enemy was now hugging his best friend. Not wanting Ron to get the wrong idea and feeling slightly embarrassed, Hermione pointed to the Sneakoscope.

"We should keep on looking," Hermione said as she noticed Ron's eyes looked slightly…disappointed? Shaking the thought off, Hermione followed the Sneakoscope which was now buzzing out loud.

"Well, I'm leaving this here," Ron said as he pointed to the sword.

"What?! Take it with us. Come, we're wasting time."

"Hermione, this isn't working alright." Ron sighed as he stretched his arms out. "Look, there's like two paths here. I'm going to put the sword here and look in this direction, see if I can spot anything that looks like a cup, locket or diadem while you go in that direction. If there's nothing in ten minutes, we'll meet back here and I'm taking the potion."

"Okay," Hermione said, not wanting to argue with Ron and for some reason, not wanting to spend a second more with him than necessary. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest as if her hug with Ron was opening up something inside her.

After nearly ten minutes of walking, Hermione was ready to give up until her Sneakoscope flashed to life once more. Staring in its direction, Hermione noted a chipped bust of an ugly warlock. As she walked towards it, Hermione cried in exasperation at the sight of the door of the Room of Hidden Things. _How did we not start here?_ Hermione thought as she made her way towards it. Suddenly, Hermione's eyes landed on something, an old, discoloured tiara lying on top of the warlock.

_Oh, ye of little faith!_ Hermione smirked as she pictured Ron's expression. Without wasting time, Hermione yelled at the top of her lungs.

"RON!"

….

"HERMIONE!"

Ron screamed as he called out what must be the thousandth time so far. _This is nuts!_ Ron thought as he surveyed his surroundings once more. He had been flying for fifteen minutes at top speed and even then he was no closer to finding Hermione nor was he to getting to a wall. Weighing his options, Ron decided to fly back down, landing next to a chipped bust of an old warlock.

"That's it. Time to repeat this whole mess." Ron said as he fished into his robes. Moving his hand around his pocket, Ron was shocked to find that his pockets were empty. Only his wand was stuck by his side as Ron checked every compartment of his robes.

"Where the fuck are they?!" Ron yelled in frustration as he fished about his clothes. No potion bottle, neither red nor blue was to be found. Ron punched the bust in frustration as he cursed out loud. A loud, clanging sound was heard as something dropped from the warlock's head before rolling towards Ron's feet.

"What's this?" Ron said as he reached for the item. It was a tiara, grey and discoloured and it looked ancient by the sight of it. Yet Ron couldn't scratch the feeling that he had seen the tiara before.

_Tiara….not just a tiara…something else…something belonging to someone very powerful…wait…die..die…dumb…DIADEM!_

_That's it! The diadem! Tom's Horcrux! _Ron thought excitedly as he studied the crown in his hands. Ron recalled that they were looking for one of Tom's Horcruxes until finally, Hermione had found the diadem on the old, ugly warlock. Ron had sped over, staring in both awe and trepidation at the headband. He recalled holding the tiara while Hermione went off to get the sword.

_But what happened next?_ Ron thought as his mind drew a blank. For some reason, the temperature inside the Room of Requirement had dropped several degrees and even with a Heating charm, Ron could still feel the coldness of the air. There was something sinister floating about in the room as Ron looked around him warily. After a few minutes, Ron wanted to chalk it all up to his mind playing tricks. That was, until Ron heard it. A voice in the form of a faint whisper.

_Put me on_

…

"There he is, Headmaster!" Hermione cried as both she and Dumbledore entered the Room of Hidden Things. As Hermione rushed towards the sight of Ron lying down on the floor, Dumbledore stopped in his tracks. He should have known, of course, that Tom would have added protection charms around his Horcruxes. Dumbledore felt the slight tingle of his charred hand, its blackness a reminder of what could happen when one tries to mess with the Dark Arts.

"I can't get to him." Hermione cried as she tried to get closer to the young wizard, only to be repelled by an unseen force. "There's like a force field or some Shield Charm that prevents me from entering into his space."

"It would seem, Miss Granger, that Tom doesn't want anyone interfering with his work," Dumbledore replied grimly as Hermione's face turned pale.

"Why would he put it on? I was only gone for a few minutes. Why would he put it on?!" Hermione spoke quickly as she paced about the wizard.

"This is no fault of Ronald's," Dumbledore replied as he removed his wand. Whispering a few words and feeling the air around them starting to change, Dumbledore gave Hermione a mirthless smile. "The lure of a Horcrux is very powerful. Few have the power to resist it completely. Don't forget, Miss Granger, that a Horcrux is still a living organism and it must have sensed your desires to destroy it. Naturally, it tried to defend itself. But no worries, we can now touch him."

True to his words, Dumbledore dropped to his knees and gently felt the forehead of Ron. With his eyes closed and faint breathing, one might have mistaken Ron for being asleep. Despite their progress, Hermione still looked stricken with worry.

"Fortunately for us, Tom's charms are effective but crude. Easy to overcome. Even more fortunately, it seemed that Tom has aided us in some way."

"Some way how?" Hermione asked as she lay next to Ron, holding his hand.

"By preventing you from interfering with his body, Tom made a fatal flaw. I assume, of course, that once you saw Ronald in such a condition, your first thought might have been to kill him so he can go back in time. This would have been a very costly mistake for us." Dumbledore spoke as Hermione looked at him curiously.

"Whatever happens now, we cannot let Ronald die." Dumbledore continued to explain. "By now, Tom would have had Ronald under his influence by invading his mind. Tom would have pored through Ronald's memories and thoughts and planted himself deep within Ron's subconscious."

"That's horrible!" Hermione cried, aghast at the thought.

"What's worse is that now that Tom has his mind, if by some reason we let Ron die or we change the timeline, then Ron will return back to the previous point of restoration. But he won't return alone. Voldemort would be in him and a Dark Lord with the power of time travel, I shudder to think of the possibilities."

"But…if you're here and now that Ron's asleep, what if Tom chooses to kill him from the inside?" Hermione whispered in fear as Dumbledore nodded.

"That is a possibility, yes and yes, this timeline would not exist. So it would seem to me that there really is only one option left to us. We need to separate the Horcrux from its host."

"Well, just pull it out!" Hermione cried as she reached for the tiara on the top of Ron's head. However, as her fingers tried to remove it off his head, the tiara refused to budge, almost as if it were stuck on Ron's head with some type of powerful glue.

"That won't work," Dumbledore said as he continued to frown at the Horcrux.

"What if we pierce the Horcrux with the sword?" Hermione said as Dumbledore shook his head once more.

"It's too risky. As soon as the blade touches the Horcrux, it would split apart but the Basilisk poison infused into the sword would kill Ronald as well. Furthermore, we can never be certain that Tom would be completely destroyed before Ronald turns back time. Furthermore, you need a good amount of force to destroy this Horcrux and you could risk impalinghim."

"So what do we do?!" Hermione cried as her tone filled with panic.

"We would need to enter his mind. Convince Ronald to push Tom out. Only he can do it, no one else."

"You mean…use Legilimency?" Hermione said thoughtfully as Dumbledore nodded.

"A variation of the spell. Only that instead of navigating into a person's mind, we enter it." As soon as Dumbledore had spoken the words, a thought crossed his mind. There was no way in which he, Dumbledore, could enter into Ron's mind. The connection between their minds due to the time spell would mean that he too, would be vulnerable inside of Ron's head as Tom would no doubt enter _his _mind and use whatever means he had to destroy Dumbledore.

"Okay, that sounds good," Hermione said as she looked at Dumbledore expectantly. Unknown to her, Hermione's expression caused a lump to form inside Dumbledore's throat as the old wizard could feel his heart breaking at the thought of what he must do. He had intended for the pair to find out sooner rather than later but not this soon, not under these circumstances. Perhaps if Ron did find a way to release himself from the Horcrux, a journey back into the past might help.

_Maybe someone else can do it_ Dumbledore thought as he cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid I cannot enter Ronald's mind, Miss Granger. My connection to Ronald might make me vulnerable to Tom's power while we traverse inside Ronald's head."

"That makes sense," Hermione said before putting on a determined look. "Fine, I'll go."

"Perhaps you may help me finding Professor McGonagall or calling on Professor Snape…" Dumbledore spoke as he noted Hermione looking back at him with an incredulous expression.

"There isn't time, Headmaster! Besides, that could only make things worse. If we bring in others into this, we would most definitely be changing the timeline."

_She is clever_ Dumbledore thought as he sighed. "Journeying into someone's head with a powerful Horcrux is dangerous, Miss Granger. I simply cannot allow someone who hasn't had the proper Occlumency training inside of Ronald's head."

"I do have training!" Hermione cried indignantly before looking slightly abashed. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I can do this. I have to do this. I'm the only one who's suited to this task."

_You know that she is, Albus._

_But what if.._

_There isn't time. The lesser of two evils, Albus, the lesser of two evils._

"Very well, Miss Granger." Dumbledore relented as he raised his wand. "I will cast the spell that will allow you to enter his mind. Now I cannot tell you what to expect while you're inside. To each individual, the mind is different as we all have different memories. You might experience a memory once you're inside or a dream you had when you were a child. No one can really know for sure."

Hermione nodded her head as Dumbledore continued to speak.

"Once I've set the spell on you, you may either wake up in your own mind or Ronald's or whatever version that Tom wants you to see. There is no way of knowing what Tom has put young Ronald through nor what you will see or experience whilst inside his head. What you need to remember is that once you're inside, you need to find the path."

"The path, Sir?"

"The path that leads you to Ron. It can take the shape of a road, a house, a bridge, even a picture. Remember that since this is Ronald's mind, he is the one who holds true power inside. Tom will do everything he can to stop you. You must convince Ronald to reject whatever it is Tom wants him to do and to take control of his own mind."

"Tom wants something from Ron?"

"Yes," Dumbledore replied sadly. "Tom will most likely ask Ron for his soul. Just like the diary, Tom intends to take over Ron completely. You must not fail, Miss Granger. The fate of our world now lies in your hands."

"I won't, Sir," Hermione replied passionately though there was still a slight tremble to her voice. Dumbledore smiled, giving the witch a poignant yet tender look.

"You are a true Gryffindor, Miss Granger. Not many will have the strength nor courage to do this but you take it with your stride. Remember this strength that's in you, Miss Granger. Hold on to it and use it. Tom will have no chance."

"Okay," Hermione said as she gave Ron a strange look before turning back to Dumbledore. "What do I do?"

"Just lie down next to him and close your eyes," Dumbledore spoke as Hermione did as she was told.

"Sir…" Hermione said as she stared up at her Headmaster. "What do you mean when you say Ron has to reject Tom? How does he do it?"

"Tom will convince Ron to give in though the manifestation of how that happens is unknown to me. It could be giving him a key to a safe, or opening a door, or even boarding a train. All I know is whatever Tom wants Ron to do, _Ron must not do it_. I won't let anything happen to you, Miss Granger. Should I see signs of distress, I will remove the spell. Your safety must come first."

Hermione glanced once more at the sight of Ron whose eyes were still closed and whose face appeared to be grimacing at something. A hardened expression came over the witch as she stared back with determined brown eyes.

"Bring me back only when Ron wakes up," Hermione spoke before closing her eyes. Nodding his head, Dumbledore whispered a few words as a bright white light emerged from his wand like a gliding rope, with one end pressing against Hermione's forehead while the other landed on Ron.

"Please forgive me," Dumbledore whispered to no one in particular as he watched the pair with concern in his eyes.

….

Ron stood to his feet, listening to the silence. He was perfectly alone. Nobody was watching. Nobody else was there. He was not perfectly sure that he was there himself.

A long time later, or may be no time at all, it came to Ron that wherever he was, he must exist. The disembodied whisper had been a sign, a reminder of what he did. No doubt, Ron had come to the conclusion that he must have placed the diadem on his head at some point and that this Room, this so-called vast place was nothing more than a figment of his mind.

_Hermione is so going to kill me when she finds out_ Ron said as he threw the tiara onto the floor. He had been cursing himself for being so stupid, so foolish as to place the Horcrux on his head. Why would he have done such a thing? The only explanation would be that he didn't. Something else did. Something else had forced him to put it on.

Before Ron could think any further, he spied something out of the corner of his eye, wedged between two stacks on his right. A few steps later and Ron found himself staring at the door to the Room of Requirement. Without thinking, Ron made a beeline towards the door, his hand inches away from the knob before stopping himself.

"Should I do this?" Ron said out loud, half hoping that something inside the Room would give him an answer. He had tried waking himself up from punching his own face to… well…punching his own face but it seemed that whatever had him in this reality would not so easily let him slip from its grasp. Weighing down his options, Ron gave a shrug before turning the knob and pushing the door open.

The first thing that struck him was a bright, orange light nearly blinding his sight. He could feel a strong gust of wind blowing against as the smell of grass made its way up to his nostrils. Astonished by the sight before him, Ron walked through the door, staring blankly at what laid in front of him.

He was in the countryside, a meadow with several fields of grass going on for miles. Looking down, Ron found himself on a pebbly road with several trees lining its borders. Turning around, Ron was shocked to see that the door nor the Room was in sight, only the pebbly road with several fields and a blue, cloudy sky occupying the landscape. Turning back, Ron stared out into the distance, staring at the anomaly that lay a distance away.

In the distance, Ron could make out what looked like a house, only that it was the strangest house Ron had ever seen. The house looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but with extra rooms being added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked that it must have been held up by magic. Five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof as next to it, Ron could make out a barn and a chicken coop nearby. As he walked closer towards the home, Ron could make out a jumble of rubber boots by the front door as well as a rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard as Ron noticed a lopsided sign that had been stuck in the ground near the entrance.

As Ron read the sign, he felt a sharp intake of breath entering his mouth and staying there as a sense of realisation dawned upon him.

The Burrow.

_This was my first home. My original home! _ Ron thought excitedly. It should have been apparent earlier given that Ron had seen pictures of his former home. He had visited the place several times in recent years but that had been when the Burrow was demolished, its magic disappearing as soon as his parents had died and the wards being taken down.

"Those bloody gnomes, Molly! Where's Bill and Charlie? They were supposed to degnome the garden this morning."

Ron stopped in his tracks as his eyes saw a tall, thin man with red hair and sweaty white skin emerge near the bushes of the garden. Cursing slightly as he evaded the attacks of angry chickens that pecked around him, the man sat down on the front step of the porch as the door swung open, revealing a short plump woman wearing a white dress while carrying a bundle in her arms.

"They took the twins and Ronnie out today, Arthur. I thought it be best given that I need some peace and quiet with Ginny in the house"

_Mom and Dad_ Ron thought as he felt his body tremble slightly. _What is this?_ Before Ron could think any further, a loud, wailing sound cried out from behind him, giving Ron a start as he turned around.

"Don't cry, Ronnie. It's okay." said a tall boy with a red ponytail as he held a crying toddler in his arms. Behind him, a shorter boy with red hair and broad shoulders appeared to be dragging two identical young boys in his hands while a quiet young boy with similar crimson hair appeared to be berating the two while carrying toy broomsticks in his hands.

_Bill. Charlie. Fred. George. Percy._ The thoughts flashed quickly inside Ron's head as he stared at the wailing toddler, knowing full well who that was.

"Knock it off, Percy." young Charlie said as young Percy gave him an affronted look.

"Meanie. Prat. Leggo of me, Charlie!" the young twins yelled as they tried to pull themselves away from Charlie who looked to be reaching the end of his patience.

"You two idiots stop it or I tell Mom what you really did!" Charlie whispered as Fred and George became silent though their faces appeared to still be rather pissed.

"Oh, what happened, sweetie?" Molly said as she and Arthur approached Bill who looked exhausted.

"He's upset because I wouldn't let him ride the broom," Bill said as Percy butted in.

"It was the twins, Mother. They kept calling him names."

"No, it wasn't! Mom, Percy's lying!" Fred and George cried in unison.

"That's enough, boys!" Arthur said as he wiped the sweat of his brow. "Bill, Charlie, I need you to degnome the garden. Those little blighters are starting to rise in number!"

"Oh, Dad!" Charlie groaned. "We just babysat the twins and Ronnie. Can we like do it tomorrow?"

"You can do it later this evening," Arthur said strictly as Bill and Charlie groaned. "Unless of course, you rather take care of Fred and George?"

Bill and Charlie exchanged looks before glancing at the twins who were now putting on their best angelic expressions, causing Ron to burst into laughter before putting his hands over his mouth. He had unknowingly followed the group and was now standing across from his family though none of them paid any attention to him.

_I'm in a memory_ Ron reasoned in his head. _They can't see or talk to me._

"Degnoming!" Bill yelled out as Charlie fervently agreed. "Definitely degnoming!"

Arthur let out a chuckle before turning to Bill. "Come let me take Ronnie."

"Oh no, you don't, Arthur," Molly spoke as she handed Ginny over to Arthur instead. "You need to have a talk with your sons about behaving properly. Obviously, they've been fighting again."

A loud groan came over everyone as Ginny started to move, his little sister having woken up from her nap.

"Get her to bed," Molly commanded as she took Ron off Bill's hands. "And the rest of you, go clean up and prepare yourself for lunch."

"The last one in does the dishes!" Arthur cried as Ron watched his brothers yell out before wrestling with each other towards the front door.

"Honestly, Arthur!" Molly said as she gave him a stern glare while stroking Ron's head, his younger self now having calmed down.

"You love me all the same, Mollywobbles," Arthur said as he gave Molly a grin before pecking her on the cheek. Though she still looked slightly affronted, a warm blush came on his mother's cheeks as Ron watched his dad disappear into the house with Ginny.

"How's my precious little boy?" Molly spoke as for a moment, Ron thought she was speaking directly to him. Ron found himself staring at his mother holding his younger self in her arms while he started to rub his eyes.

"Fly!" young Ronnie spoke in a childish, shrill voice as Molly gave a chuckle.

"You want to fly? But you're too young, Ronnie. Mom is afraid you might get hurt." Molly said in a gentle voice as Ron watched his younger self giving her a sad look.

"Fly. Me fly, Mommy! Fly!" his younger self said as Ron felt a lump in his throat.

"Well, Mommy can't let you go on a broom," Molly spoke as Ronnie appeared to want to cry again. "But Mommy can make you fly without one. Do you want to fly, Ronnie? Mommy can make you fly!"

As his younger self looked at his mother with confusion, a big smile broke on Molly's face as she raised her son up in the air as high as she could before dropping down back to eye level. Up and down, up and down her arms went while Molly swayed about in the garden.

"Weeee, Ronnie, weeeee!" Molly cried as his younger self now had a big smile on his face while giggling out loud. "Say weeee for Mommy, Ronnie!"

"Weeeeee!" his younger self giggled as Ron felt his eyes becoming wet.

"Mommy's little angel!" Molly cried as she threw Ronnie a couple more times in the air before wheezing out loud. It was clear to Ron that his mother was out of breath, her face red from exhaustion as she cradled his younger self in her arms, smothering him with kisses. Ronnie giggled from each kiss as he clapped his tiny hands.

"More, Mommy! Fly! Fly!" Ronnie cried happily as Molly gave her son a warm smile.

"Just give Mommy a moment to catch her breath, dear," Molly said as Ronnie's face turned into a frown before wailing once more.

"Oh, don't cry, Ronnie. Don't cry!" Molly said quickly as she patted his younger self gently in her arms. "Mommy's just a little tired…maybe I can…" Molly said as with one hand securing his younger self, she reached for her wand. Raising it, Molly stared at her wand before shaking her head, placing it back before continuing to pacify his younger self.

"Fly, Mommy!" his two-year-old self cried as Molly cradled him in her arms.

"How about this, Ronnie?" Molly said as she stroked his head. "How about you have one of Mommy's sandwiches? You know the one you like? Sandwiches? Like this, nom-nom-nom!" Molly said as she made an eating gesture with her other hand. Ron watched as his younger self stopped crying and appeared to realise what his mother was saying.

"Food?" his younger self said as Ron gave a laugh. _Some things never change._

"Yes, food!" Molly laughed with a smile. "Bacon? Does my little Ronnie like bacon?" Molly asked as his younger self nodded his head quickly. "What about roast beef?" Ron laughed once more as his younger self appeared to grimace at the mention of the word, knowing full well he hated the taste of roast beef.

"Bacon, it is!" Molly laughed as she planted another kiss on his cheek. "Mommy loves you very much, Ronnie. You're Molly's little angel!"

"I love you too, Mom," Ron whispered as he watched his mother walk towards the house with his younger self in her arms. Although Ron was grateful for the way his adopted mother and Aunt Narcissa had raised him, Ron couldn't recall the last time he had received such affection. The look of love in his mother's face had caused the lump in his throat to swell up as Ron tasted the tears that were now cascading down his cheeks.

"I wuv you, Mommy."

Ron and Molly gasp in unison as Molly stopped in her tracks to look at her son.

"Say that again, my angel. What did you say?" Molly whispered softly though Ron could still hear her all the same.

"I…wuv you…Mommy." Ronnie struggled to say as he stared at Molly with his babyish, expectant blue eyes.

"Oh, Ronnie!" Molly cried as a tear streaked down her cheek. "Oh my precious baby boy, Mommy loves you too! So much!"

"Soooo much?" Ronnie seemed to question as Molly nodded her head. "More than you can ever imagine, Ronnie."

"Fly?" Ronnie spoke as Ron gave a laugh before leaning against the fence.

"Easy there, Ron," Ron said to his younger self. "Mom's beat. Just be happy you get to eat bacon sandwiches with her."

Expecting his mother to shake her head, Ron was surprised to see a smile break out of his mother's face. Her frail arms and shaking back had now stopped quivering as Molly stood up straight, lifting young Ron up in the air.

"You're an angel, Ronnie. Don't you ever forget that." Molly said in a serious manner as her young son looked at her quizzically.

"Weeeeee!" Molly cried as his younger self echoed the same sentiment. Ron watched as his mother, despite her obvious exhaustion and tiredness, appeared to have summoned some unearthly strength to keep on playing with her son. Wiping the tears from his face, Ron felt an unnatural sense of calm and happiness waft over him as he stared at his mother playing and laughing with his younger self in the garden, oblivious to whoever saw them. It seemed, that despite his initial suspicions of whatever was happening to be bad, Ron had apparently misjudged it. Nothing that was evil could ever give him such a sense of happiness and comfort as this moment now did.

As Ron watched the emotional scene play out in front of his eyes, he gave a start when a calm voice spoke from behind him.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, Ron."

Turning around immediately, Ron was met with the sight of a young wizard not older than eighteen or nineteen staring at him with a smile on his face. He was a tall, young man with brown slick hair and his handsome, chiselled face staring directly at Ron. Ron felt the air disperse from his lungs as he recognised the handsome, young man who stood before him.

"We need to talk, Ronald." Tom Riddle spoke as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

….

_A-B-C-D-E-F-G_

_H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P_

_Q-R-S—T-U-V_

_W-X_

_Y and Z_

_Now, I know my ABCs_

_Next time won't you sing with me?_

_What's happening?_

The first thing Hermione Granger noticed when she opened her eyes was a sea of pink dazzling in the background. As she squinted her eyes to adjust to her surroundings, Hermione felt her hands pressed against a wooden floor. Pushing herself to a seated position, Hermione felt light-headed as she rubbed her eyes to allow her sight to settle on her surroundings.

Hermione found herself staring at a pink wall which looked pretty bare except for a painting of a seaside town hanging on a nail. Next to it was a white, oak wardrobe which had two oak tree shapes crafted onto its doors. Light filtered in through a window next to her while Hermione looked to her feet to see a woollen rug placed next to her at the foot of the wardrobe. A strange pungent scent, like the smell of fresh paint, lingered in the air. Something at the back of Hermione's mind gnawed at her as she stared at the wardrobe which seemed familiar to her for some reason.

"Mione, what are you doing on the floor?"

Hermione stood up with a start, intent on apologising to whomever the voice behind belonged to. As soon as she turned around, Hermione let out a gasp, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

Behind her stood a tiny bed with orange covers and a study desk with a bookshelf fixed from above it. Next to the bed was a pile of stuffed toys, many of which featured an animal from the London Zoo. Yet it was the scene next to the bedroom door which took Hermione's breath away.

Just a few feet from her, Hermione came face to face with a very young version of herself. She couldn't be any older than three, her hair extremely bushy and brown as she wore blue overalls and was lying on the floor with a book in her hands and her feet in the air. Her baby teeth glittered from the sunlight though her two front teeth still looked normal. Behind young Hermione was a man wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. He had jet-black hair with several strands of wispy grey embedded on his head. The man was sporting a light beard and had a birthmark on his neck though his chiselled face and large-horn rimmed spectacles complimented his deep blue eyes, giving him a wise look. Though he looked to be in his late fifties to early sixties, his large frame and broad arms gave the impression that the man kept in shape.

"Grandpa." Hermione blurted out at the sight of Thomas Granger smiling at his granddaughter while his hand held a paintbrush with blue paint dripping down into a bucket. _Of course, this was my room!_ Hermione thought excitedly. She recalled how her parents had told her that she hated the colour pink as even when she was younger, Hermione couldn't conform to the standards that all girls liked pink. She had demanded they changed the colour and her grandfather was the one who changed it from an unsightly pink to a nice, calming sea blue. The white wardrobe was her first cupboard for clothes though Hermione had not seen the thing in years after it had collapsed under the weight of her books that Hermione had stuffed inside. All around her from a tiny bed with orange covers to her stuffed toys to her picture books with authors like Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl on her shelf brought out a nostalgic vibe in Hermione as she admired her younger self room.

"Want me to sing you my ABCs again, Grandpa?" Hermione's younger self spoke as Grandpa Thomas gave a chuckle. The sight of her grandfather laughing in front of her tugged at her heartstrings as Hermione took a step forward. Just like the memories in the Pensieve, Hermione had ascertained that she could not interact with her grandfather though she would do anything to get him to see her once more.

"It's okay, Mione." Grandpa Thomas chuckled heartily as he continued to paint her wall. "You can continue to read your book while Grandpa continues to paint."

"I can help, Grandpa. I am good at painting." Young Hermione spoke as Grandpa laughed.

"Really?"

"Ab-so-lutely!" Hermione said as Grandpa Thomas gave a gasp.

"Where do you learn such a big word, Mione?" Grandpa Thomas asked as young Hermione smiled proudly at him.

"From Daddy!" Hermione said as she threw her arms in the air with glee. Laughing, Grandpa Thomas laid down his paintbrush before motioning for Hermione to walk towards him. Young Hermione obliged as she slowly stood to her feet before hastily stumbling into Thomas's arms.

"That's very impressive, Hermione. Very good!"

Hermione smirked at her younger self. By the age of three, Hermione had already memorised a wide range of vocabulary. Hermione took a moment to glance up at her grandpa. She could barely remember images of him now although his pictures in the family albums and in their living room did help her quite a bit. Yet none of it can compare to seeing him here, alive and well and interacting with her younger self. Though her mind reminded her that this was just a memory, Hermione couldn't help but feel the slight pang of pain in her heart.

"I miss you, Grandpa," Hermione whispered as she approached the man, barely a foot from where Thomas Granger was. Suddenly, a beeping sound was heard as Grandpa heave out a sigh.

"Sorry there, little otter. Grandpa's got to take this." Thomas said as he removed what looked like an old- fashioned pager. On it, Hermione could see the letters CID imprinted on it. One of the perks of being a CID detective was that they got to wear plain clothes most of the time. Yet that didn't stop them from doing their duty.

As her grandpa opened the door and walked into the other room, Hermione made her way behind him, only to be stopped by an unseen force at the door.

"What?" Hermione cried out as she tried to inch further but could not move an inch from the doorway. _Why can't I go out?_ Hermione thought as her eyes settled on her younger self who was now playing with plush toy penguin.

_Of course!_

It was obvious now, that the reason Hermione could not go out was that she was never privy to what happened next. As she was in her own memory, Hermione could only go within the parameters of her memory although she did manage to pick up her grandfather speaking on the phone.

"No, you have to give me an hour, Leo. I'm with my granddaughter now and my son is only coming back then. Yes, I know we have to move fast but the mission can wait, can't it? Yes, don't worry. You know I'll be there."

Hermione heard the sounds of footsteps walking back into the room as she retreated to the wall where the window was. Thomas Granger entered now holding on to a worn-out black leather jacket and what looked like a grey, beanie cap.

"Hey there, Mione. Sorry about that." Thomas said as her younger self now looked up at her grandpa. "Listen, I'm going to have to leave in an hour so I'll probably finish painting your room tomorrow."

"Leave?" Young Hermione said as her face became crestfallen. Thomas gave his granddaughter a sympathetic look before placing his hand gently on her chin and lifting her head up to look at him.

"I'm sorry, little otter," Thomas said to her younger self before a knowing smile broke onto his face. "Tell you what? How about we go to the kitchen and let's break out that strawberry ice cream that you love so much?"

"Ice Cream!" Young Hermione said as she shot up to her feet before her face looked slightly worried. "Mommy says no ice cream. Bad for teeth."

"Well, a little ice cream is okay, now and then." Thomas reasoned as Hermione shook her head. Thomas let out a cry of exasperation.

"Hermione, once in a while, it's okay to break the rules. You must learn to have fun, Mione. Or are you just a sad otter?"

"Not a sad otter!" her younger self retorted as she stomped her foot and stuck out her tongue. Thomas chuckled at the sight of this as he lifted young Hermione into his arms.

"Then, let's just go have some ice-cream! It's fun! Grandpa promise it's going to be okay. He will protect you from Mommy."

"Really?" Hermione asked as she bit her tiny finger while staring expectantly at him.

"Promise." Thomas Granger said as he planted a kiss on his granddaughter's cheek. "I'm always going to be here for you."

Hermione stood in a corner, watching the exchange go with watery eyes. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to do with her Grandpa. _He's gone, Hermione. This is just a memory, remember. You need to focus on what you came here to do. Remember who needs us._

_Ron!_

As Hermione watched the pair exit the room, her mind started to race. Why was she in her memory if she was supposed to be in Ron's? Hermione looked around wildly at the room, trying to see if there was some sort of clue that could tell her where to go. She could go after her grandfather, of course, now that her younger self was with him but something told Hermione that the key to the issue laid within the room.

_Or outside it._

Hermione turned to the window where the sunlight had filtered in. As she walked towards it, Hermione let out a gasp. Unlike most families, Hermione had stayed in her family home her entire life and in Kensington, the only thing one would see outside would be an urban landscape, with tall, red apartments forming the background next to a wide array of buildings and a busy, bustling city street. Yet as she stared out the window, all Hermione could see was a countryside, filled with fields of green and what looked like a pebbly path originating a foot down from her window and leading towards a sunny, rural landscape.

Pushing the window open, Hermione climbed out and dropped down onto the pebbly path. As she turned to close the window, Hermione was shocked to see that her room, her house was gone and all that stood behind her was the pebbly path with green pastures going on for miles. Turning back to her front, Hermione stared as far as she could, only to see no difference between what laid in front of her and what was behind.

"Oh well, here goes nothing," Hermione said, out loud as she started walking, all the while looking out for signs of a redhead, lanky wizard.

….

Darkness. And then, Ron opened his eyes.

Ron found himself lying in a bright mist, though it was not like any mist he had ever experienced before. His surroundings were not hidden by cloudy vapour; rather the cloudy vapour had not yet formed into surroundings. The ﬂoor on which he lay seemed to be white, neither warm nor cold, but simply there, a ﬂat, blank something on which to be.

Ron sat up, touching his face and running his fingers through his red hair. He still had his robes on as well as his wand but his potion bottles were still missing. Suddenly, a strange sound emerged, filling his ears as Ron stood to his feet. It seemed almost as if someone were whispering to him, the disembodied voice floating all around in the air. Ron felt an uncomfortable feeling washed all over him.

"Hello?" Ron called out as his voice seemed to echo. "Where am I?"

Brushing himself off and straightening his robes, Ron's eyes began to scan his surroundings. Was he in another variation of the Room of Requirement? The longer he looked, the more there was to see. A great domed glass roof glittered high above him in sunlight. Perhaps it was a palace. All was hushed and still, except for that odd strange whisper coming from somewhere close by in the mist...

Ron turned slowly on the spot, and his surroundings seemed to invent themselves before his eyes. A wide-open space, bright and clean, a hall larger by far than the Great Hall, with that clear domed glass ceiling. It was quite empty. He was the only person there, except for—

He recoiled. He had spotted the thing that was making the noise. Not far from him, was a brown table with two chairs on opposite sides. One of the chairs was occupied. Ron took a step closer, staring at the handsome figure with black hair and what looked like Hogwarts robes, sitting patiently while spinning his wand in his hand. As he walked towards the figure, the figure turned as Ron let out a gasp.

"Have a seat, Ronald." Tom Riddle spoke as he flashed Ron a smile while staring back at him with dark brown eyes. Ron recalled the memory of Tom who had visited Dumbledore back when the latter refused Tom for a teaching position. This version of Voldemort was younger, much younger and had not yet undergone the insidious transformation that was the cost of dealing with the Dark Arts. Ron glance towards the empty seat as he felt his own fear rising in his chest.

"Relax, Ronald," Tom spoke calmly as if he could sense Ron's fear. "I'm not going to hurt you. I will never hurt you. All I want is for us to talk. Have a seat." Tom said as he motioned towards the chair.

Ron stared back at Tom in disbelief. He knew better than to trust the words of Lord Voldemort and yet, Ron knew it would be unwise to refuse the Dark Lord's request. After all, Ron had put on the Horcrux and that meant that for now, Voldemort was in charge. Ron took to his seat, facing the Dark Lord as he slowly edged his chair away.

"I take it you know who I am," Tom replied in a silky tone, his words carrying a sickly charm towards them. "You can call me Voldemort if you like, I have no issue with it. After all, we need to get properly acquainted."

"Can I call you, Tom?" Ron stammered as a temporary flash of rage appeared in Tom's voice before disappearing just as quickly.

"If it makes you feel more comfortable, by all means," Tom spoke as he gave Ron a devious grin. "Well, Ronald, I must apologise for not coming to you sooner. I was a bit pre-occupied if you want to know, what with me delving through your mind."

"My mind?" Ron repeated as Tom nodded.

"Of course. The minute you put on the diadem, I had access into your mind, Ronald. I admit, I never expected to be worn but as soon as I entered your mind, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only are you a Pureblood, Ronald but you are no ordinary wizard, are you? All those secrets, your knowledge, your powers…" Tom said as Ron's eyes widened in realisation.

"You know…"

"Yes," Tom said, cutting Ron off. "I know about my future and what happens to me, thanks to your memories. I know that you know my secret about my Horcruxes. I know that you are currently working together with that…Muggleborn…and Dumbledore in trying to destroy them. I know about your ability to travel back in time. I know everything that you know, Ronald!"

Ron could only gape in horror as Tom's smile began to widen.

"Truth be told, Ronald, if you were just an ordinary wizard, I would have already destroyed your mind. But I will never do that now, not even in the slightest. It seemed that you wearing my Horcrux turned out to be a blessing in disguise, after all."

"What do you want?" Ron asked, his voice trembling as Tom folded his arms.

"I want to help you, Ronald. That's what I want to do. I want to help you just like you will help me. Together, we can achieve so much. Together, everything you ever wanted will come true."

"Why would I do such a thing?"

Tom let out a sigh as he leaned forward, his eyes now fully focused on Ron in an unsettling stare. "Tell me, Ronald. What do you honestly think of me? Don't lie to me now, I can read your thoughts."

Ron let out a gulp before averting his gaze slightly. "I think that you're a monster. I think that you're evil and you need to be stopped."

"Are those your words or Dumbledore's?"

Ron said nothing as Tom snapped his fingers. Somewhere, a voice spoke out, from a memory that Ron had visited before.

"_Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies. You must know this, Dumbledore."_

"It's sad, isn't it?" Tom spoke, though to Ron it seemed like he was speaking more to himself than anyone else. "No matter what I have accomplished, it would seem that everyone thinks they know who I am. I know you suspected that the reason I came back to the castle was to put this very Horcrux inside the Room of Requirement and to that, I cannot deny. But I also won't deny that I did indeed want to teach at Hogwarts. Maybe if Dumbledore had given me a chance, all the fighting could have been avoided."

Ron shuddered at the thought of the Dark Lord becoming his DADA professor. The expression on his face, however, did not go unnoticed by Tom.

"Yes, Ronald. I did want to teach. You see, many people may presume to know who I am but they're not even close to fathoming what Lord Voldemort is really about. Is it really fair to make assumptions about someone without giving that person a chance to defend themselves? Don't you have the same problem that I do? All those Gryffindors, even your own sister, thinking the worst of you when in reality, you care about them."

"At least I'm not a violent, crazed maniac." Ron retorted as the mention of his sister gave him some courage. Tom, however, continued to widen his smile.

"I'm a visionary, Ronald, not a tyrant. I admit that what I have done does come at quite a high cost but in the long run, it is the lesser of two evils."

"You're nothing but a killer." Ron snapped as anger flashed itself on Tom's eyes once more.

"You're so naïve, Ronald! So impressionable! Do you really think that the reason society is where it is now is because of peace? The world was built by killers, Ronald, so you better get used to looking at one! We were once just ordinary, hairless apes, weren't we now? Did you think the progress we've made, the peace you're living in came without effort? The Goblin Wars? The battles against Muggles? The struggles, the revolutions, the rebellions, the uprisings! All a product of war! War brings progress, peace brings nothing!"

Ron had now edged even further away as Tom's eyes bored a hole into his very soul.

"I could have done it the peaceful way, of course. I could have joined the Ministry." Tom spoke as he spat in disgust at the last word. "Everyone was clamouring for me, all the teachers and the students could see my potential and if I had decided to put it to work, I could easily enter the Ministry and rise my way up at unprecedented speed into finally becoming Minister For Magic!"

"But why didn't you?" Ron asked.

"Because it would have achieved nothing!" Tom exclaimed with such ferocity that Ron found himself backing up even further. "Look at the Ministry, Ronald. Open your eyes! Look at how weak and pathetic our so-called leaders are. Even in my time, they were still grasping to keep order in our lands while failing to see the real problem that was rising. Their ignorance has been their downfall, no doubt compounded by the weak advice given by your pathetic Headmaster."

"The real problem?" Ron said as Tom nodded. Snapping his fingers, Ron could see the images forming in front of him. Large groups of Muggles sporting beige suits with red armbands marching, the loud sounds of guns and weapons shooting all about and explosions, one even taking the form of a large mushroom cloud surrounded the pair of them. Ron watched the images with a mixture of awe and horror at the sights before him.

"Witches burning," Tom said as he showed images of a girl being burnt at the stake. "Witches hanged." Another image of a girl being lynched and cheered on by a mob of Muggles. "Even their own kind," Tom said as a frightening picture of a pile of dead, naked Muggles being shoved into a pit. Ron recoiled in horror as he fell from his chair, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.

"I am not the enemy, Ronald," Tom said as he snapped his fingers and the images disappeared. "I am a revolutionist and whatever I have done, I make no excuses for it. We are at war and what I did, I did for the good of my people. Your Aunt Narcissa was right, Ronald. The Muggles, the disgusting, putrid breeds will eventually come for us. But unlike in the past, they are much more prepared. More capable of destroying us all."

"But the Statue of Secrecy-"

"Is nothing more than a comfortable lie," Tom said, finishing Ron's sentence. "It is but a form of denial. How long more do you think the Ministry can keep up with obliviating Muggles? How long can we put up with the charade? More importantly, why should we?" Tom said as he motioned for Ron to return to his seat.

"I know that this must all be overwhelming for you, Ronald." Tom sighed as he continued to speak. "And just like me, you learnt first-hand about the cruelty that Muggles do to us. I was abandoned by a Muggle. I was bullied by Muggles no older than nine years old. Is it so bad that I defend myself? That I feel proud of who I am? That I am ambitious enough to try to amass as much power as a wizard could? You're a Slytherin, just like me, Ronald. We're not so different, are we not? Our childhood taken from us by the cruelty of Muggles."

Ron recalled the memory of his mother playing with his younger self in the garden. At that moment, Tom gave Ron a smile.

"I thought that would cheer you up, make you more at ease. Even though your parents may not have been on the same side as I was, they certainly did not deserve to go like that."

_No, they didn't!_ Ron thought fiercely.

"And so, I sought power. I sought the means to make myself immortal and powerful because the world needed a leader. If Muggles would come for us, I wanted us to be prepared. Prepared to do what it takes. I love magic, Ron and I would do anything to protect it."

"But what about the Muggleborns?" Ron asked, thinking about Hermione.

"What about them?" Tom replied darkly. "Those disgusting creatures that would rather breed with the enemy than realise the importance of preserving our way of life. Magic gets diluted, Ronald, don't you ever forget that, whenever Muggle blood and magical blood mix. See how clever the Muggles are? Instead of destroying us through death, they seek another way to ensure our extinction. By allowing their species to dominate us and forcing us to decrease in number."

As much as Ron hated to admit it, he couldn't help but agree with Voldemort a little. The lessons instilled in him by Aunt Narcissa still remained fresh even after all these years. Even after meeting and spending time with Hermione, such thoughts still remained inside Ron's head. Why couldn't Ginny see that? What his sister was doing, coveting a Muggleborn was dangerous not just to herself but to the wizarding society as a whole.

"And so, I took charge, Ronald." Tom continued to speak in an authoritative, superior tone. "I formed my own group and yes, eventually in your time, we went to war and while I may have committed unspeakable things, I am but the lesser of two evils, Ronald. The Greater Good. Compare me to your Ministry. While I may have certain feelings about some of the magical creatures out there, I am nowhere near as biased and as bigoted as your own Ministry? Tell me, Ronald, does the Ministry still look down on werewolves? Do they still have reservations about giants? I welcome all magical creatures into my side and though some may have to be sacrificed for means of my victory, I guarantee you, Ronald, that all I want is a prosperous world for magic. A place where magic is might, where we take our rightful place and purge the world of the scum that is Muggle."

"Dumbledore said…" Ron began to protest as Tom let out another spat of disgust.

"Dumbledore said that we were all equal? That we can co-exist? What does Dumbledore know about the horrors that Muggles do? What does Dumbledore, the great and powerful Dumbledore know about what it is like to live like us? Muggles don't even like their own kind, constantly killing each other and he thinks that they would welcome us with open arms? Don't be fooled, Ronald, by that egomaniacal simpleton! He has lied to you before, hasn't he? Because that's what Albus does best, manipulating people into a false reality while ignoring the truth of this terrible world."

Ron stared at Tom as he allowed the latter's words to sink in. At the back of his mind, he could hear himself arguing, one for the side of Tom while the other begging him not to fall for his tricks. Somewhere deep inside him, Ron could hear Ginny's words echo back at him.

"_How can you even think about standing behind a monster like that? A monster who kills innocent people? How can you justify that?"_

"Screw this," Ron replied, summoning every bit of courage he had. Ron stood to his feet, approaching the table slowly while glaring back defiantly at Tom.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe Muggles can't be trusted." Ron said as his thoughts now turn to his previous talks with Hermione. "But you're not the lesser of two evils, Tom. You're nothing but pure evil. I'll take my chances with the Muggles. Not all of them are bad."

For a moment, Tom looked slightly shocked to having been spoken back so crassly. The lines on his face began to form a frown as Tom appeared ready to unleash his fury on Ron. Suddenly, his expression began to change, almost as if a thought had just struck him. A smile broke out on Tom's face. Ron felt the uneasiness starting to set in. He rather faced an angry Lord Voldemort than one with an unsettling smile.

"Remember my words, Ronald. There's no such thing as a good Muggle." Tom said in a soft yet very serious tone. "You speak about the lesser of two evils? Then how about you ask me what I want from you."

_What sort of game are you playing at, Tom? _ Ron wondered.

"What do you want with me?" Ron asked, deciding to play along.

"I want your soul, Ronald."

"My soul?" Ron cried in shock.

"Yes, Ronald. Your soul." Tom replied with a nod. "As of right now, Ronald, I have complete control of your mind and body but what I truly desire is your soul. Unfortunately, the soul is much, much more powerful. I cannot truly possess you unless you give me permission to do so."

With that, Tom snapped his hands as Ron's surroundings began to take shape. He could see columns and arches forming in front of him while behind him, Ron could see that the ground had shifted, forming a line. Looking into the depression, Ron was shocked to see a row of tracks going in a straight line while at the end of one line, the shape of a train began to form. Taking a step back, Ron let out a gasp.

"It's King's Cross Station!" Ron cried in recognition as Tom looked around, impressed.

"Is it really? I didn't notice." Tom said. "But then again, your soul manifests the path for you. It would seem that in order for me to possess it, I will need to board that train with you to dive into your soul. However, I would not be able to if you choose not to bring me with you."

"Why in Merlin's name would I ever agree to give you my soul?" Ron asked as Tom gave him a sickening smile.

"Because, Ronald, I'm the only one who can save Ginny and Draco."

…

Though she had been walking for what seemed like hours, Hermione wasn't tired in the least though her patience was slowly waning away. The pebbly path seemed endless as Hermione covered her eyes from the glare of the bright sun hovering over the countryside.

"Ron! RON!" Hermione yelled for the umpteenth time even though her mind told her it was useless. There seemed to be no other forms of life for miles around and Hermione was starting to regret ever leaving her childhood room in the first place.

Suddenly, Hermione's ears picked up an unusual sound coming from behind her. Turning around, Hermione could see in the distance the shape of a building all covered in red and brown bricks. As she made her way towards the building, the sound started getting louder and louder.

_No, it couldn't be_ Hermione thought as she started to move closer. Only when her eyes spied the iron cross on top of a steeple did Hermione stop in her tracks.

In an instant, Hermione recognised the Church of St Augustine. From its enormous size and large wooden doors to the two bells tolling in the steeple, Hermione felt her throat constricting at the memory of the day. The doors of the church began to open and from it, large groups of people all clad in black starting to disperse out. Walking past them without so much as a glance, Hermione entered the church.

Even though she wasn't particularly religious, Hermione had always been fascinated each time she entered a church. Its sublime background from the large arches crafted with intricate designs to its white ceramic tiles gave it a melancholic feel that made Hermione wonder about the existence of a higher power. Around her stood windows with mosaics of important Christian figures and moments as Hermione slowly made her way past the long, brown benches. The church was now mostly empty with only a few people sitting separately at the benches. Yet Hermione's eyes were planted directly at what stood at the front of the church.

As she slowly made her way towards the casket, Hermione wondered if she should proceed. She could barely recall this memory given that she was only three at that time but Hermione found herself unable to stop. Her eyes stared at the open casket, already brimming with tears in anticipation of what she was about to see.

He looked so peaceful, almost as if he were sleeping. His birthmark had been covered by some makeup but other than that, Thomas Granger laid peacefully in his casket, his eyes closed and hands folded. Hermione's eyes lingered towards his stomach where she knew the bullet had entered in, courtesy of a drug bust gone bad. Thankfully, as he was clad in a smartly, dressed black suit, that little detail was not to be seen.

"I love you, Grandpa." Hermione trembled as she spoke. Raising her hand, she carefully caressed his face. She knew that since this was but a memory, it would have no impact on reality yet Hermione was grateful for the touch, if one could call it that. Her heart began to feel heavy once more as Hermione took a moment to cry quietly, allowing her tears to flow freely down her face.

After a minute, Hermione wiped away her tears before planting a light kiss on Thomas Granger's forehead. Turning around, Hermione kept her eyes peeled for her younger self. She knew that she had to be around somewhere, the memory a testament to that. At the back of the church, Hermione spied her younger self being consoled by her mother.

Walking towards the pair, Hermione noticed that while her mother was consoling her, her father was close by, hidden in the darkness while talking to someone. Once she reached her younger self, Hermione let out a gasp at whom her father was speaking to.

Next to the stairs that led up to the second floor, Professor McGonagall was speaking to her father while her mother, carrying her younger self in her arms, stood but a few feet away. Her father's expression was a mixture of anger and frustration as he spoke in large, harsh whispers to Professor McGonagall who wore large, black robes.

"As I mentioned, Mr. Granger, I only wish to convey my condolences." Professor McGonagall spoke gently as Ned glared at her.

"Bah! You people are all the same! I've had it up to here with you people!" Ned whispered back harshly.

"Ned!" Catelyn spoke in alarm as Hermione stared at her father in disbelief. Throughout her life, Hermione always thought the world of her father who treated everyone with equal respect.

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" Ned exclaimed, ignoring his wife and pointing to Hermione's younger self who was still crying. "Look at what your lot has done to her. Haven't you people any remorse?"

"Mr. Granger, you are out of line and you know it," McGonagall spoke firmly though she gave Ned a sympathetic look. "Surely now you can understand the importance of letting your daughter come to Hogwarts."

"Like I would ever allow my daughter to mingle with the likes of –"

"Ned, do not finish that sentence!" Catelyn cried sharply as Hermione continued to stare at her dad with more disbelief. _Why is he behaving like this?! _Hermione thought as she stared at her father who was now getting his temper under control. _Dad, this isn't like you!_

"I'm sorry," Ned spoke as McGonagall nodded her head. "It's been a tough day."

"I understand, Mr. Granger. Please, do not hesitate to contact me should you need anything." McGonagall spoke. Turning to walk away, Professor McGonagall stopped in her tracks before turning to offer one last look of sympathy.

"For the sake of your daughter, I hope you would reconsider. I assure you, that if young Miss Granger were to enter our school, I would do everything in my power to ensure her safety as well as teach her how to use her powers with proper control and respect."

Ned said nothing as McGonagall departed. Hermione turned back towards her parents, her mother now gently patting her father on his back while her younger self looked to have stopped crying.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour." Ned said as Catelyn gave him a smile.

"I understand. This has been really hard on you."

Ned let out a mirthless laugh as he stared back at the casket. "Dad would have hated it here. I still think we should have just had the service at our place."

"Well, it's what your mother wanted, Ned."

"True," Ned agreed as he heaved a sigh before taking Hermione's younger self in his arms. "Luckily for us, Higgins is on our side."

"Higgins is his partner." Catelyn replied. "What happened is what will always be."

Kissing his wife on the cheek, Hermione watched as the trio started to depart towards the doors of the church. Following them from behind, Hermione started to look around the church, wondering if perhaps a window or a door might lead her to the path for Ron. Hermione was so engrossed with surveying her surroundings that she almost crashed onto her dad.

_That was close!_ Hermione thought as she let out a slight chuckle. _Would I have passed through my dad? But how can I touch my grandfather and feel the floor but at the same time, not touch my dad? Memories are complex._

As thoughts began to run through Hermione's mind, she almost didn't catch what her father then whispered to her mother. It was only when he said it again did Hermione's heart stopped and her blood started to run cold.

…

"What do you mean save Ginny and Draco?" Ron said as his eyes stared at the train. Tom let out a chuckle as he walked towards Ron and stood right in front of him.

"Ron, when you give me your soul, you and I will merge into one," Tom spoke as his dark brown eyes glinted in the light. "You would have my powers, Ronald, powers you can't possibly imagine. You and I will then leave Hogwarts and strike out into the world to rule it. Of course, we first have to take care of the other Lord Voldemort."

"The other Lord Voldemort?" Ron repeated as Tom heaved a sigh.

"I'm afraid my future self has become rather foolish and pathetic. I mean, how can I, the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived lose to that Harry Potter? Can you imagine it? Me? Lord Voldemort dying at the hands of a baby?" Tom laughed mirthlessly as he shook his head. "He's made stupid, costly mistakes and we have to make him pay."

"But…isn't he you?" Ron said as Tom gave a shrug.

"In a way, he is but then again I have separated my soul into seven pieces. You talk about the lesser of two evils? That's me. With me in control of you, Ronald, I can easily overpower my other self and force his soul into that damned diadem!"

"How do you know he won't beat you?" Ron asked as Tom let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm the third Horcrux, Ronald," Tom spoke slowly in a belittling manner as if explaining things to a simpleton. "From your memories, I get that the ring and the diary, my first two Horcruxes are gone. That means that the power now lies with me. You think that your Lord Voldemort with that pathetic and fragile excuse for part of a soul can defeat me? Me, who now holds the most powerful part of our soul and thereby has better control of my powers? Your Lord Voldemort would surrender himself to me, allowing me to take charge while I shove him into the diadem."

"How does this help save Ginny and Draco?"

"Because!" Tom exclaimed in excitement as he clapped his hands. "Because once I enter your soul, you and I will be bound together. I would be bound to give in to your request. Not only will I guarantee the safety of your precious siblings but I will also ensure a war with minimal casualties, only when necessary. My other self is now in full chaos, blinded by this meaningless pursuit of Harry Potter whereas I will much more capable, more effective, more…_forgiving._"

Tom snapped his fingers once more as the entire scene in front of Ron began to change. King's Cross station started to disappear as Ron noticed that the ceiling had now turned into a sky of red with the sun bearing down on them. Ron found himself in a field with Tom while behind them stood a burning Hogwarts with fire breathing out of every crevice and bricks falling down from its foundation. Yet the sight of a damaged Hogwarts was nothing compared to what lay around Ron's feet.

The ground was littered with bodies. Ron's eyes bulged out in horror as he took in the large number of masses lying dead all around him. From the sight of witches and wizards as young as eleven years old to that of giants breathing their last breath, it was truly a horrific side. Witches with the mouths gaping and eyes looking back in terror. Wizards with body parts strewn all across the field, the blood pouring out from their bodies. Even those who were alive were not better. Most were crying and screaming, many of whom carried grave injuries and scorched marks on their skin.

"What is this?" Ron demanded though his voice only emitted a harsh whisper.

"This, Ron, is what will happen should you refuse my request," Tom said as he directed Ron towards a couple lying a few feet away. Ron felt his lungs collapse as he dropped to his knees.

"No. no. no. no. NOOOOOO!" Ron yelled as he crawled to the couple. Draco Malfoy laid on his back, his grey eyes bulging out as his neck was twisted in an unnatural way. Next to him was Ginny, her face covered in blood as she laid gasping for air.

"Help…help me…" Ginny spoke as the blood gargled in her mouth. Ron instinctively went to her, only to watch his hands pass through.

"Ginny! GINNY!" Ron cried out wildly as he stared at her in desperation. "Ginny, you have to hold on! It's going to be okay. Don't just stand there! DO SOMETHING!" Ron yelled back at Tom who merely shook his head.

"There's nothing that I can do, Ronald. This hasn't happened yet but it will happen soon. The last battle, the final battle where my other self will be triumphant. And with him, he will bring all cruelty and monstrosity that you see before you."

"No, no…" Ron said in disbelief as he shook his head wildly. "This isn't real! This is all in my head!"

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Ron, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?" Tom spoke as he laid his hand on Ron who shoved it off angrily.

"Stop this! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Ron yelled as he stood to his feet, yanking Tom by the robes. Tom merely grinned at Ron.

"I'm not the one who can stop this. You can." Tom said as he snapped his fingers and the surroundings changed back into King's Cross. Ron immediately released Tom from his grasp as he stared blankly all around him.

"You know that's what's going to happen, you've always known, Ron. This whole defeating me by killing my Horcruxes, it doesn't work." Tom spoke impassively as Ron glared back at him. "Dumbledore's given you a suicide mission, one that is not just dangerous but foolish as well. Not to mention, the old man is dying, Ronald. That means that there will be no one, no wizard, no witch that can stop me. Only you."

"Harry will defeat you," Ron said as Tom let out another laugh.

"Harry? _Harry?_ The so-called champion of the great lover of Muggles and Muggleborns, Albus Dumbledore?" Tom cried. "Harry is but a pawn, Ronald and so are you! You are all but pawns under the schemes of an old man who manipulated you all your life. Harry will be killed by the other me, especially now that Dumbledore won't be around to protect him. You have suffered greatly under that pathetic old wizard, Ronald, _don't make the mistake of doing so again!_ Your parents are dead because of Dumbledore! Your sister and your cousin will die because of Dumbledore! Do you think for a second that Dumbledore cares about you? What did he call you again, a weapon? Don't give your trust to that blasted fool any longer, a jealous, egomaniacal fool who would sacrifice you in a heartbeat and who will lead you and everyone you love to their deaths!"

"And I'm supposed to trust you?" Ron cried incredulously. "You're just as bad at manipulation as Dumbledore!"

Tom glared at Ron for a moment as he took a step towards the wizard, his handsome face now just inches away.

"No, Ronald," Tom said in a serious manner as his expression began to soften. "I will _never_ lie to you, not like he did," Tom spoke as a smile came onto his lips. "I'm nothing like Dumbledore. If you don't believe me, perhaps you need a second opinion."

Taking a step back, Tom raised his right hand.

"I'm the only one you can trust. Perhaps this will convince you once and for all." Tom spoke with a smile before snapping his fingers.

…..

There was nothing but darkness all around him as King's Cross station disappeared from his eyes. Cursing Tom as much as he could, Ron felt the air starting to get thick and smoky as a large fog descended all around him. Suddenly, Ron felt someone crashing against his chest.

"Owww!"

"Bloody hell!"

"Ron? Is that you?"

The sound of that voice caused Ron to blink his eyes open. There, in front of him with her usual bushy hair and hazel eyes stood Hermione lying on top of him.

"Hermione?" Ron exclaimed in disbelief as Hermione's eyes widened at the sight of him.

"Ron? RON!" Hermione cried out loud as she threw her arms around him. Ron felt his breath explode out his lungs.

"Hermione, I can't breathe." Ron wheezed as Hermione released him immediately, her face beaming at him. The sight of Hermione looking at him made Ron smile slightly, relieved to see the witch. It was only then that it occurred to him that both he and Hermione were in a rather compromising position.

"Hermione, don't take this the wrong way but do you mind getting off me?" Ron groaned as he felt the weight of Hermione crushing his stomach.

Hermione's cheeks turned red at this comment as she pushed herself off his waist while Ron stood to his feet while straightening his robes.

"I can't believe I finally found you!" Hermione exclaimed as she threw her arms around him once more. The gesture took Ron by surprise but he was glad for the embrace. The warmth of her arms brought comfort into him as Ron reciprocated her hug awkwardly.

"Hey there, I have a girlfriend," Ron said awkwardly as Hermione released him instantly, her face now morphed into disgust. _That's the Hermione I know. Wait, what if this is another one of Tom's tricks?_

"Hold on!" Ron cried as he backed away from Hermione. "How do I know it's really you?"

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, puzzled by his reaction.

"How do I know you're really Hermione? You could be another one of Tom's fucking tricks!"

"Honestly, Ron, language!"

"Okay, it's you," Ron said as he gave her a sheepish smile. Hermione returned one of her own before punching him in the arm.

"Owww! What was that for?!"

"Why did you put on the Horcrux, you prat?!" Hermione demanded as she glared at him. "Do you have any idea what I had to go through?"

"Gee, where's that Hermione that wanted to jump on my bones? Can I have her back now?" Ron grumbled as he massaged his arm.

"Not funny, Ron," Hermione spoke as she began to explain everything that was happening. Ron's eyes widened as Hermione recounted her journey though he could sense that there was something that was bothering Hermione.

"I was following my family out of the church and then…" Hermione hesitated as though she was wrestling with some thought, her face an expression of doubt and confusion.

"And then?" Ron prompted as Hermione shook her head.

"I can't remember. All I know was that there was this massive fog and then I was here."

"I see," Ron said as he pondered about her words. _Why would Tom bring Hermione to me? _ Ron thought as Hermione gave him a curious look.

"Ron, what happened to you?"

Ron heaved a sigh as he told Hermione an account of what he had been through. When he recounted his memory of his mother, Hermione placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to which Ron greatly appreciated. He watched as Hermione recoiled in shock at what Tom had shown him and requested.

"Ron, you can't believe what he says! Dumbledore said he's trying to trick you! That's what this Horcrux does!" Hermione spoke hastily.

"Relax, Hermione, don't you think I know that?" Ron said though he felt slightly guilty. He couldn't admit it to Hermione, of course, but Tom had made quite a compelling case. What if he was right? What if the only way to save everyone would be to let Tom take over his soul?

Pushing the thought aside, Ron began to look around as Hermione did the same. The pair seemed to be in some sort of alley with large, great walls towering on each side. On the left wall in the distance, stood a large, rectangular trash can with several black bags of garbage by its side. Ron stared at the ground, looking at the litter that surrounded them. There was something familiar about this place although Ron couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked as she watched a red plastic bag drift off in the wind. The air was chilly as a freezing gust of wind blew by. Something wasn't right about this place.

"I don't know but I think I've seen this alley before," Ron said as he took steps towards the trash can. Hermione stretched out her hand, grabbing his arm before he could move.

"Whatever this is, I don't like it, Ron. Tom's trying to manipulate you again. What does he mean, seek out a second opinion?"

"I don't know, Hermione," Ron said as he looked at her. Hermione's face was frowning now as she appeared deep in thought.

"What?" Ron asked.

"It's just doesn't make any sense," Hermione said. "Why would he lead me to you? Wouldn't it be easier to persuade you if I'm not around?"

"You think there's a reason he wants you around?" Ron said as Hermione gave a shrug.

"There has to be. I'm the only one standing in his way, how would it benefit him to have me here?" Hermione said.

Ron said nothing as he stared down the alley past the trash can. Just like the Room of Requirement, the alley seemed to go on forever, its end covered by a bright, white mist. All of a sudden, the mist began to part. Far in the distance, Ron could make out what looked like a group of shadowy figures.

"Do you see that?" Ron said as Hermione's eyes followed the direction of his finger towards the tiny blot of darkness centred in the bright, white mist.

"Are those…people?" Hermione said.

"Only one way to find out," Ron said as he took off running towards the figures.

"Ron, wait!" Hermione called out as her shorter legs stood no chance of catching up with Ron's taller frame.

As he got closer, Ron could make out several figures talking to each other in raised voices. Though he couldn't hear their words, it seemed that the group was in some form of heated discussion. Alarm bells started to ring in Ron's head. It all seemed so familiar to him, the thought at the edge of his mind wanting to be realised. But a quick glance at the alley didn't bring back any memories for him. Though he had been in plenty of alleys all his life, Ron was certain he had never been in one of these. Wherever he was, this was certainly not his memory.

_Someone else's memory._

Ron froze in his tracks.

_A memory I've seen a long time ago._

Recognition flashed in his eyes as Ron's face started to turn a deathly white.

"Couldn't you wait for me?!" Hermione panted huffily as she caught up to him. Before she could chastise him any further, Hermione caught the expression on Ron's face.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, her face now filled with concern.

"I know where we are, Hermione." Ron stammered. Though he was still too far to properly recognise their faces, Ron knew full well who the people in front of them were.

"No. no. no. Not this. NOT THIS! YOU FUCKING FUCK, TOM! NOT THIS!" Ron bellowed at the top of his lungs while pulling at his crimson hair, his face an expression of crazed fury.

"Ron, RON!" Hermione yelled in a panicky voice, trying to get him to calm down. "Ron, tell me what's going on!" Hermione cried, her face now terrified at the sight of Ron.

"This is how they died, Hermione!"

"Who, Ron? Who?"

"MY PARENTS!" Ron yelled as he paced about frantically.

"Your parents?" Hermione said as she gaped at him. Turning her attention to the group in front of them, Hermione move in closer for a better look. After several footsteps forward, Hermione let out a gasp as she spied the form of Narcissa Malfoy, albeit many years younger but still with the same features that Hermione had recognised each time she caught sight of the witch picking up Draco and Ron from Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Beside her, clad in unusual Muggle attire, were Arthur and Molly Weasley, their red hair shining out prominently as Hermione recognised them from Ginny's pictures. They seemed to be in negotiation with a man though his features were blocked by the Weasleys. Hermione turned around and made a beeline towards Ron.

"What's your aunt doing here?!" Hermione demanded as Ron continued to utter a string of curses directed at Tom. "Weren't your parents killed by Dark Wizards?"

"Remember that story I told you back in your fourth year?" Ron growled as he leaned against the alley wall. "That's real. That's how they died. This is Aunt Narcissa's memory. This is what really happened to my parents, Hermione. They were part of some scheme with my Aunt Narcissa and that bloody Muggle kills them. This is how they really died!"

"Wait, so you weren't lying?" Hermione said as Ron glared at her.

"No, of course not!" Ron snapped

"How was I supposed to know that?!" Hermione replied indignantly. "Ginny said that all this was just some story you cooked up about your parents' death. If this was really how they died, then why didn't Ginny know about it? Why didn't you tell Ginny the truth?"

"Because I…" Ron hesitated before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're now in this memory and I will like for it to end! You hear me, Tom, you sick bastard! I WANT IT TO END!" Ron shouted as he slammed his fist into the wall.

"Ron, stop! Stop!" Hermione begged as she grabbed his arm. "Don't you see? This is what Tom wants. He knows you're vulnerable. He wants do to break you, Ron! Don't let him succeed, please!"

"He wants my soul, Hermione!" Ron snapped. "That's what he said!"

"And you believe him?!" Hermione countered as she grabbed Ron by his shoulders. "Slow breaths, Ron. Breathe." Hermione said gently as Ron started to take long, deep breaths. Hermione waited until Ron had composed himself before starting to speak again.

"Ron, Dumbledore said that you, not Tom, are in charge of your mind. You have the power to overcome him."

"And how do I do that, Hermione? Did Dumbledore tell you?" Ron scoffed.

"No, but I know we can't let our emotions control us," Hermione replied. "Look at what Tom has done so far, all that he's shown you. Just like the diary with Ginny, this Tom wants to break you down until you'll become so weak that he can just walk in and assume control. Don't let him get to you."

"But what about his request?"

"Forget about the soul, Ron!" Hermione snapped. "Listen to me! Tom is a master manipulator. _He's a liar, Ronald!_"

Ron studied Hermione's face before taking a deep breath. "Okay, okay," Ron said, nodding his head. "It's just that Tom said he would never lie to me."

Hermione gave Ron an incredulous look before letting out a laugh. "Don't forget that he's a Horcrux. Don't forget how he tricked and manipulated many people over the years like Hephzibah Smith. This is his younger self, that charismatic nineteen-year-old that went on to work at Borgin and Burkes."

"Okay, fine," Ron said as he turned his attention back towards his parents. Any second now, his father and mother were going to disarm the dealers before releasing the Muggle from their control. Meanwhile, Hermione continued to pace about, her face now deep in thought.

"It just doesn't make any sense!" Hermione ranted hotly as she paced. "Why would Tom want to bring me to you? What does he gain by bringing me into this memory of yours especially when I can stop you? I mean, I get why he would send you here, of course, but still…"

"Hermione…" Ron said as he rolled his eyes.

"_It just doesn't make any sense!"_ Hermione exclaimed, ignoring Ron. "If he wanted to break your spirit, he could have just shown you this on your own or continue to manipulate your mind with images of all your dead loved ones, but why bring me here? What does he have to gain by manipulating our memories?"

"Wait, our?!" Ron said as he snapped himself away from his parents. "What do you mean, our?"

Hermione let out a sigh. "It's nothing."

"Hermione!"

"Ugghh, it's just that it can't possibly be true!" Hermione cried in exasperation as she threw her arms in the air. "Remember when I was telling you about the church? Well, apparently, my parents have been keeping a secret from me."

"What kind of secret?" Ron said as Hermione continued to frown.

"Well, to be frank, it's probably not true and it's just another way for Tom to trick us but apparently when I was following my parents around the church, my father was worried about me finding out about my grandfather. According to him, my grandfather didn't die in some undercover drug bust. Well, he was undercover but that's not how he died. Apparently, my grandfather –"

BANG! BANG!

Ron and Hermione ducked down instinctively as they placed their hand over their ears to block out the sound of gunshots. The shrill ringing of the shots still echoed around the alley as Hermione stared back at Ron with shock and horror. Ron, on the other hand, had shut his eyes before opening them again slowly. Turning towards the group, Ron could see Aunt Narcissa looking down in shock at the two bodies strewn on the floor, the blood gushing out as red as the hair on their bodies.

"Ron…" Hermione whispered as she grabbed his hand. Ron turned to see her giving him a sympathetic look. Before he could respond, the pair heard soft clapping coming from behind them. Turning around, Hermione let out a gasp as Ron glared daggers, his face a mixture of anger and fury.

Tom stood there with a malicious grin on his face as he continued to clap slowly.

"YOU BASTARD!" Ron roared as Tom wagged his finger at him.

"You're directing your anger at the wrong person, Ron. Hello there, Miss Granger." Tom said before turning his attention to Hermione. Ron could see out of the corner of his eye that Hermione looked scared. Instinctively, Ron grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Have you figured it out yet what I'm doing?" Tom laughed. "I suppose not. It's not your fault, really since you've been lied to your whole life."

"You shut your mouth! You're the one who lied to us!" Ron growled as Tom shook his head.

"I told you before, I will never lie to you, Ronald," Tom said as he raised his finger to point at something. "Remember what I told you, Ronald. Remember what I said."

As both Ron and Hermione turned to face the scene before them, the pair exchanged a look before slowly making their way towards Aunt Narcissa. Ron had to look away as his eyes spotted his father looking shocked at being shot while his mother's face was now in pieces all over the floor. In front of them, Ron could hear the Muggle speaking in a frightened tone.

"What have I done? God, what have I done?" the Muggle said as Ron narrowed his eyes at him. He would have given anything to take revenge on the man for what he did. That was the man who ruined his life, the man who tore his family apart. Suddenly, Ron heard a squeak as he turned his face towards Hermione who now looked a deathly shade of white.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked as Hermione stared wildly at the Muggle, as if not believing what she was looking at. "Hermione?"

"She understands, Ron," Tom spoke from behind him. "There's no such thing as a good Muggle."

"Hermione, what does he mean? Hermione!" Ron said, raising his voice yet Hermione paid him no attention. Hers was fully focused on what laid before her, a sight she would have given anything to unsee. The bearded Muggle sat on the ground, holding his horn=rimmed glasses in his hand while rubbing his neck with his other hand as it slowly moved over his birthmark. His black leather jacket laid on the floor next to the gun that was hidden within it. At that moment, Hermione blocked out everything, her mind trying to comprehend what was happening as a single word escaped her lips.

"Grandpa?"

….

**That's the end of Part One. Please forgive any grammatical errors that I might have overlooked. Part 2 will be coming soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi! Here is the long-awaited part 2 to my story. I have a good reason as to why it took me so long to post this one but I can't say it now as it pertains to the chapter itself! Nevertheless, this chapter is over 30,000 words long, the longest I've ever written I think, so brace yourselves!**

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and DMs! I am so grateful for the feedback as it motivates me with this story! Just know that I appreciate each review very much! On that note, I did receive a DM asking me about my story. First, just to clarify, that although this is an AU, I am trying hard to keep it as canon-compliant as I can but of course, for the plot of the story, there will be differences. Secondly, I am trying my best to get Ron to stop using offensive terms as much as I can but just remember since he has been a bigot for many years, such vices are hard to stop. But he will get there:)**

**Without further ado, please enjoy this chapter. Keep sending reviews if you can! On a side note, I hope this coronavirus thing comes to an end soon and for those affected, I pray and wish you a speedy recovery! Take care.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story.**

**CHAPTER SEVEN: THE DIADEM, PART TWO**

"_The quality of mercy is not strain'd. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath" - Portia, The Merchant of Venice._

.

.

.

Ron's heart skipped a beat.

Sometimes, all it took was a single word to turn your world upside down.

_Grandpa?_

Like any nasty shock that one experiences throughout the course of their lives, the realisation didn't fully sink in on Ron. At first, all he did was stare blankly at Hermione who was also still in shock as the Muggle from their memory bolted away from the dead bodies on the floor. Before the memory could continue, a bright white mist descended upon them and Ron found himself transported back to King's Cross station, with Hermione on her knees staring at where the memory once stood.

_Grandpa._

And then it hit him.

Like a wrecking ball smashing against the brick wall of a building, the entire foundation came crashing down as waves and waves of realisation hit Ron with incredible ferocity. Shock gave way to another emotion, one in which Ron was too familiar with.

"Your grandfather killed my parents…" Ron whispered as the anger started to build. Ron turned to look at the bushy-haired witch who had now gotten over the shock of the memory as her teary brown eyes turned to him.

"Ron, wait," Hermione said, already pleading in her tone yet that only increased his anger. As he heard her voice pleading, Ron couldn't help but hear his mother's deafening scream just before it was cut short by a bullet to her head.

"YOUR GRANDFATHER MURDERED MY PARENTS!" Ron bellowed as he advanced on Hermione who stood to her feet before backing away in fear. It was, in that instant, as Ron watched Hermione moved that his mind started to run wild. No longer was Hermione a witch, one who learnt spells at Hogwarts and was a schoolmate of his. No, Hermione was different now. She was the spawn of the monster who killed his parents, the product of a creature that ripped his childhood away from him. Unknowingly, Ron could only fathom one word to describe Hermione Granger.

_Mudblood._

Ron's thoughts quickly turned to the memory of his mother. He would never know what it was like to be in her arms, to be completely happy. He would never get to see that beautiful smile on her pudgy face as she looked at him with love and affection. Instead, all that Ron could see of her face was a mess, pieces of her nose, skin, and eyes strewn on the ground, blood pouring everywhere as her husband lay dead, the only merciful thing was that he never got to see what happened to his wife.

_All because of him. All because of Thomas Granger._

"Ron, listen to me," Hermione spoke as she tried to keep her voice steady. "We don't know if that's the truth. Remember who the real enemy is, Ron. Tom's been playing us from the start. This could be another one of his tricks. He's a liar, Ron."

_Liar._

The story of his life, wasn't it? His entire life predicated on lies. Lies build to protect him. Lies which drove a wedge between him and his siblings. A new thought struck Ron. _Did Dumbledore know? _Was this the reason that Dumbledore insisted for him to work with Hermione Granger? Just another way for the old man to dissuade his guilt by getting him to work with the granddaughter of the killer of his parents. The thought made Ron feel sick as his anger continued to build. Ron knew his temper had always been a problem yet he couldn't give a damn. These were his parents, his parents who would have given him a good life filled with love and happiness, like the one Hermione had with her par-

"What were you going to tell me before?" Ron said, his question surprising Hermione judging by her expression. "In one of your memories, you said that it wasn't what you expected it to be. What were you going to tell me?"

"Ron, I don't thin-"

"TELL ME!" Ron yelled as Hermione shrank underneath the loudness of his voice.

"In the church," Hermione responded hastily as she continued to pace away slowly. "Back in the church when I followed my parents, I overheard them saying that my grandfather had killed himself." Hermione quickly recapped the memory once more as Ron took in every word. In the most screwed up of ways, it all started to make sense. Ron recalled how Hermione had told him that her parents didn't want her to go to Hogwarts, only to change their minds when she was three. The very age in which his parents were killed by her grandfather. No doubt, probably over the guilt of his parents' death, Hermione's parents had given in to McGonagall's wishes of allowing their daughter to go to Hogwarts to learn more about the world in which her grandfather had cruelly impacted.

_Did Hermione know?_

Ron studied Hermione's expression, one of fear and shock staring back at him. Ron could still recall the shocked look on her face when her eyes met with her grandfather. The logical side of Ron told him that her expressions were genuine, that Hermione couldn't possibly know and that this was just as much of a nasty shock to her as it was to him.

_They're all liars, Ron. That's what everyone has been doing to you since you were young. Draco lied about his mission. Aunt Narcissa lied about knowing the truth. Dumbledore lied about knowing what happened to your parents. Who can you trust, Ron? Who else is there left to trust?_

"Ron, please," Hermione begged as being caught up in his thoughts, Ron had realised that Hermione had managed to cut the distance between them. "We just need to get out of here. Get you away from Tom before you get hurt. Once we're free, we can sort things out. Please, Ron? Please."

"Get away from me!" Ron snarled as he jerked himself away. The image of his parents' bodies on the floor still laid a few feet away from the pair as Ron averted his gaze away, not wanting to look at the sight of his father's lifeless eyes and his mother's brains being strewn all over the ground.

"Stop this now!" Hermione yelled as for a moment, Ron thought she was directing her anger towards him. Instead, his eyes turned to see the red-faced witch glaring furiously at the sight of a smirking Tom Riddle whom Ron had forgotten was there.

"He doesn't need to see this. He doesn't need to believe your lies!" Hermione screamed as Tom gave her an incredulous look.

"Lies? How black is the cauldron compared to the kettle." Tom spoke coldly as he narrowed his dark, eyes at Hermione. "You see this, Ron? The Mudblood actually called me a liar when I'm the only one who has shown you the truth."

"My grandfather isn't a murderer and he did not kill himself!" Hermione snapped in despair though Ron could see from her expression that doubts had started to creep in.

"I admit, with my powers, I could have altered your memories and manipulated the pair of you easily," Tom spoke in a condescending tone at Hermione as if she were a small child. "But as you said, Mudblood, if I were to do that, why would you be here? I felt your presence as soon as that fool Dumbledore send you inside Ron's head. I could have easily disposed of you, ripped your fragile little mind into millions of pieces but instead, can you imagine the look on my face when I saw the memory of this floating about in that disgusting Muggle head of yours? As soon as I realise the memory for what it was, I couldn't help but lead you both to it."

Ron turned his head slightly to look at Hermione whose expression was one of angry denial though Ron could see that it was faltering.

"No, _Hermione Granger_," Tom spoke in an eerily calm yet authoritative manner. "I did not lie. I did not manipulate. I did not change a single thing. What you see before you is true, all of it. Dumbledore lied to you, just like your parents did. Your grandfather did not, though. He came to see one more time but you were so preoccupied that you hardly noticed him confessing. Do you want to see it? Your grandfather's guilty confession? Would you like to know what your grandfather said to you just before he died?"

Hermione could only gape wordlessly as Ron noticed her eyes brimming with tears. As he stared at the witch, her tears did enough to diminish his anger towards her. Instead, Ron turned his rage and frustration towards the young Dark Lord.

"That's enough, Tom," Ron said firmly as he glared at Tom. Tom narrowed his eyes back at Ron before shrugging.

"Ah, well, another time then," Tom spoke as he sneered at Hermione before turning back to Ron, clapping his hands in anticipation. "So Ronald, shall we proceed? Shall we get back on that train?"

"The train?" Ron repeated as Tom gave an impatient growl.

"Yes, the train1 It's time we get to your soul, isn't it?" Tom grinned as he raised his hand. Before Ron could reply, Tom's face suddenly contorted into fury as he glared past the pair and let out a ferocious yell. "You!"

"Yes, Tom, it is me."

Both Ron and Hermione gave a start as the pair turned around to see Dumbledore gazing sadly at the bodies of Arthur and Molly Weasley. While Dumbledore was indeed quite old, Ron had always seen him be rather sprightly for his age. This version of Dumbledore was far from his usual self as Dumbledore looked sicker and worse than he ever did.

"Professor!" Hermione cried with a rush of concern as she made her way to Dumbledore who gently shook his head.

"It's okay, Miss Granger. I could sense you needed my help." Dumbledore said before turning his attention towards Tom. "Hello there, Tom, it's been a long time since I've seen this version of you and I have to say, though I am not superficial, you look much more dashing in this image."

"Which is more than I can say for you…_Albus_." Tom replied with a sneer as he sized up the older wizard. "You've seen better days."

"All of which came before I got to know you, Tom," Dumbledore replied as Tom's eyes flashed red.

"Quite a cheek on you, old man," Tom replied as he slowly made his way towards Dumbledore. "You're not strong enough to hold both spells, Albus. The one you cast on the Mudblood here has already taken its toll, has it not?"

"Do not use that term," Dumbledore replied.

"And do not think that you can control me!" Tom snapped angrily. "In here, I am a God compared to you!"

"You've always had a problem with power, Tom." Dumbledore sighed as his wizened body started to tremble. "It has always been your greatest weakness. It prevents you from seeing who is truly in power here."

Dumbledore turned his head towards Ronald as he muttered a single line. "I'm so sorry, Ronald." Though the appearance of Dumbledore had startled him, the surprise was slowly wearing off. As Ron's mind tried to process what was happening right now, he could still feel his heart pounding from the rage within him. Words failed to escape his lips as all Ron could do was stare blankly at Dumbledore.

"Sorry?" Tom laughed incredulously as he rolled his eyes. "Sorry? You hear that Ronald, the old man is sorry. Never mind that he was the one who approved the mission that got your parents killed. Never mind that he was the one who separated you away from your family. Never mind that he was the one who constantly lied to you over and over again while using you to do his bidding. Even I have to admit you have some cheek about you, Dumbledore!"

"Ron, what does Tom want you to do?" Dumbledore said hastily, ignoring Tom's words. Yet no reply came from the redhead who stood there staring back at him. Without wasting a second, Dumbledore turned to Hermione for answers. "What does Tom want?"

"He wants Ron to get on a train with him to get Ron's soul," Hermione replied quickly as she explained briefly what had happened. A look of surprise came onto Dumbledore's face as he turned his attention back to Tom.

"I would never have expected that of you, Tom," Dumbledore replied as Tom gave a mock bow. "Perhaps I've misjudged your nobility."

Dumbledore's words affected Tom as the latter's face darkened with fury. "You dare mock me here, you blathering old fool?"

"I would have thought you would have _forced_ Ron into giving up his soul," Dumbledore replied calmly, ignoring Tom's taunts once more. "Perhaps you're not strong enough?"

"Not all wars need to be won by strength!" Tom snapped. "Besides, this may be hard for you Muggle-loving fools to understand but Ronald here is more than capable of making the right decision. He understands the need for me to take control, to take over. Any agreements on his part would be binding and considering the state of the world and the _leaders_ (Tom smirked at this point) we have in charge, I would be the lesser of all evils."

"You're right. Ron is capable of making the right decision." Dumbledore said as he turned to Ron, his blue eyes twinkling back into Ron's own. "But even the best of us can use a little help, once in a while."

"From who? You?" Tom laughed as he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Dumbledore buckled over as the old wizard dropped to his knees. Hermione let out a gasp as Ron's eyes widened at the sight before him.

"What did you do?!" Hermione yelled as Tom ignored her, his eyes staring angrily at Dumbledore.

"Your walls aren't going to hold on forever, Dumbledore," Tom said as he frowned angrily at the wizard. Ron and Hermione both stared at Dumbledore whose own expression was one of filled with determination and concentration.

"Tom, there is no need for us to resort to this," Dumbledore spoke as he winced from what looked like immense pain. "I propose a trade of sorts if you will. Let Ronald and Hermione go and take my soul instead."

Dumbledore's words appeared to have the desired effect as Tom appeared shocked for a moment while Dumbledore blew a sigh of relief. Hermione had helped their Headmaster to his feet as Ron slowly made his way towards the two of them. Though he was angry at Dumbledore, the Headmaster did look to be in incredible pain. Ron turned to face Hermione and was surprised to see the witch in her own mask of concentration. Before he could speak up, Tom had replied.

"You know, I have to give you credit, Albus," Tom spoke as the trio turned their attention to the young Dark Lord. "For a moment, I was actually considering it. I mean, deep down, despite my utter disgust towards you, there is a part of me that vaguely admires you for your powers. And to be able to get into your mind and retrieve it from your soul…" Tom spoke as he licked his lips. "It is indeed extremely tempting."

"So why don't you, Tom?" Dumbledore said as Tom shook his head.

"Ever the manipulator, aren't you Albus? You know, anyone else might think your sacrifice as noble but I know you, Albus. I know who you really are. You probably couldn't give a piss about the Mudblood or even yourself, given that injury of yours but…the thought of me taking away your greatest weapon, now that is where you draw the line. You see, despite all your spells and your magic and your powers, you still aren't able to give me what your apprentice here can. Immortality. The dream of every great sorcerer. His ability to time travel would allow me to achieve my goals with the simplest of ease."

"And who says you can't have both? What's that common Muggle expression? Have your cake and eat it too?"

Tom looked perplexed as Dumbledore let out a sigh.

"Consider it a foolish request but hear me out. You, Tom, can break Ronald down and take control of him without him giving permission. Of course, Ron giving permission to take his soul would certainly be _easier_ and will no doubt make the unification of your souls considerably stronger but I'm offering you to take control of my mind here, Tom. Something you will never have a chance of doing so ever again."

"And why would you do something as foolish as that?" Tom retorted.

"Because I believe that Ron here can beat you if he has more time. The time he and Miss Granger will need to get away for a while and recharge themselves, even for a moment before duelling you for control of Ronald's mind. But should you choose not to take my offer, then rest assured I will be using all of my remaining strength to destroying you here. Of course, I will not be able to beat you but I can hurt you very, very much. So let's see if Tom…I mean…Lord Voldemort is able to handle a couple of teenagers or are you still that same, deluded little boy who tried his best to better me but failed miserably?"

If Ron thought Tom looked angry before, it was nothing compared to his face now. Tom's face had contorted into that of a wild animal, red flashing in his eyes coupled with a sinister smile, almost maniacal in nature.

"I know what you're trying to do, old man," Tom said as he took several steps forward until he was a foot away from Dumbledore. "But you're not going to get me that way. Neither your compliments nor your challenges will have any effect on me and do you know why, you ignorant git? Because I _can_ still have my cake and eat it too. It's as simple as this." Tom said as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Almost instantly, Dumbledore collapsed to his knees once more as a piercing scream came from his lips. The sight of Dumbledore writhing in pain threw both Ron and Hermione in shock as the latter grabbed their Headmaster's shoulder.

"STOP IT!" Hermione screamed in distress as Tom gave a wicked laugh.

"The old man thought he could get one over me." Tom laughed maniacally as he glared with glee at the sight of Dumbledore doubling over. "You pathetic weak excuse for a wizard. You think you can trick me? ME? LORD VOLDEMORT? After I am done with you, all that's left is for me to rip apart your two students here and take full control of Ron's soul."

"You asshole!" Ron yelled, coming to his senses as he pointed his wand at Tom, only for Hermione to grab his hand. "Let him go this instant!"

"Oh, he speaks now, does he?" Tom laughed as he glared daggers at Ron. "I tried to be nice. I tried to make you see things my way. But it seems you're just as pathetic and worthless as your dead parents, Ron. Can't make the tough choices, can you? And you call yourself a Slytherin? Story of your life, isn't it? Always being manipulated by someone smarter than you."

Before Ron could utter a single word, Hermione spoke up instead.

"Speak for yourself," Hermione replied as she shifted her hand away from Dumbledore's shoulder onto his head while her other hand gripped Ron's arm tighter. "Now!" Ron turned to see Dumbledore nod his head as he smiled at Tom. All of a sudden, Tom yelled in pain as around him, Ron could see the white light of the memory getting brighter and brighter until he blinded with nothing but white.

...

_What's going on?_

As soon as the thought crossed Ron's head, the white light started to fade, only to be replaced by a pale, yellowish hue. Ron found himself staring at this yellow light as the scene around him started to form shapes. He felt his feet kicking against something hard as Ron's mind started to focus on the yellow light as it became smaller and smaller, almost like a yellow lamp shining from above. It was then that Ron realised he was staring at a street lamp. Turning his head around, Ron could see that he was in the middle of the street where brick houses surrounded him on both sides. The grey sky was filled with dark clouds and a few crows passing ahead. Around him, the buildings looked old and run down while the street was deserted with the exception of two cars and a bus that looked retro in nature. Turning his head to his right, Ron found himself staring at Hermione whose eyes were focused on a building a few yards away from them.

"Hermione, where are we?" Ron asked as Hermione turned to look at him. For a moment, Ron wondered if this really was Hermione as he knew Tom could manipulate the memories or that he could be inside of one of Hermione's. All of a sudden, the short bushy-haired witch burst into tears as she threw her arms around Ronald's neck.

"Ron, I'm so, so sorry." Hermione sobbed as she pressed her head between his shoulder and his chest. As Ron felt his robes getting wet, a battle of wills was taking place inside of him. A large part of him wanted to shove Hermione aside, the thought that of him comforting the granddaughter of his parents' murderer filled him with disgust. Yet something inside him felt pity for the witch. It was clear to Ron that Hermione had no idea about who her grandfather was or what he did. Realising that this was neither the time nor the place to be having an emotional discussion, Ron decided to shove his feelings aside and concentrate on the task at hand.

"Hermione," Ron said firmly as he gently lifted the witch's face from his robes. The sight of a teary-eyed Hermione staring up at him made something stir inside Ron but just like his other emotions, Ron quickly shoved it aside. "What happened? Where's Dumbledore and Tom? Where are we?". Ron's questions appeared to have done the trick as Hermione stopped her crying, her hands now quickly rubbing away the leftover tears.

"Dumbledore tricked Tom, Ron," Hermione said as she took a deep breath to compose herself. "While Tom was busy taunting him, Dumbledore was speaking in my head. Due to the spell, he cast upon me to send me here, we have some sort of telepathic link between us. He told me of his plan, his horrible, horrible plan."

"Why? What's so horrible about it?" Ron demanded.

"You saw how weak Dumbledore was," Hermione explained as she rubbed her nose tenderly. "The spell he cast to get me into your head was already taking its toll and to put himself in your head as well, it was getting too much even for someone as powerful as Dumbledore. There was no way we could have defeated Tom and Dumbledore told me that Tom never needed your permission explicitly with regards to your soul. He could either influence you to give it to him or just tear you apart. The former is easier to do and makes your bond much stronger but given how things were going, it seems that Tom has given up that approach."

"You don't say," Ron replied, though his tone was more concerned rather than sarcastic.

"Anyways, because of that, Dumbledore decided to make one final move. He knew someone like Tom would never give you up and so Dumbledore decided to trick him. He tricked Tom into trying to force himself into Dumbledore's mind. Someone like Tom would never have passed up on that opportunity and Tom did exactly what Dumbledore expected him to do, by forcing himself into Dumbledore's mind. That was his mistake. By forcing himself into Dumbledore's mind, Tom also had to let down his defences and Dumbledore used his remaining powers of Occlumency to shield our whereabouts from Tom."

"His remaining strength?" Ron repeated as Hermione let out a whimper. "Is he…"

"Dead? No, far worse. Right now, I suspect Tom is tearing into Dumbledore's mind, learning every new spell, memory and ability he can. Only after he has done so, will Tom start to look for us." Hermione replied. "But you know what this means right? Dumbledore will be in a catatonic state, unable to function for the rest of his life. This means he can't do anything that he's supposed to do. Which then means –"

" - The timeline has already been changed," Ron said, finishing Hermione's sentence as the realisation finally dawned on him. "But wait, how does that change anything? Don't we still have to take the diadem off my head? If we do that, all I have to do is turn back time and destroy the Horcrux once more."

Hermione gave Ron an incredulous look. "And if we don't do that, that Voldemort will win but this time, he will have everything that Dumbledore has. All the magical ability of Dumbledore coupled with his own powers! Not to mention everything that Dumbledore knows from the members of the Order to the Ministry's proceedings. Every secret that Dumbledore has kept, every plan Dumbledore intends to use against him. If Tom beats you, he wins the war easily. Not one, not even Harry can stop him. The odds just went in his favour by a considerable amount, Ron!"

"Great! That's just fucking great!" Ron cried angrily as he threw his arms into the air. "What the hell was Dumbledore thinking?!"

"He wanted to give us time to organise ourselves. Time for you to figure out how to beat Tom."

"And how the hell am I supposed to do that? Did Dumbledore tell you that as well?"

Hermione opened her mouth before hesitating. "Well, not exactly."

"Figures," Ron grumbled in frustration. "So what vague thing did Dumbledore say?"

"He told me in his mind that in order for you to find the strength to beat Tom, you need to find a power in which Tom knows not. Something that Tom could never do. He said that you have it in you, a force so powerful that it diminishes everything around them. Only when you choose to truly embrace it, will you have the strength to defeat Tom and free yourself from this prison."

"Wow, that helps! That's not vague at all!" Ron said sarcastically as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Have you seen where we are now? Where do you think Dumbledore send us? Don't forget that you have a link with Dumbledore as well. When Tom forced himself into Dumbledore, he created a pathway, a bridge between their two minds and since you and Dumbledore are linked as well…"

Hermione didn't finish but instead started to motion towards her surroundings. Ron took a moment to look around, his eyes surveying the environment around him. It seemed that they were in some part of London, a rather shoddy, run-down part of it but something about the buildings seemed off. All around him, the infrastructure looked rather out of place for modern Britain and the houses seemed to look quite ancient in nature.

"Wait, I recognise that building," Ron said as his eyes focused on the building with the bus in front of it. It was a square building, rather large and made of grey bricks. The building was run-down just like the others and was surrounded by high railings. Yet despite seeming like a grim place to live in, the buildings appeared clean as Ron took another step towards the sign plastered outside its gates.

"Wool's Orphanage," Ron said as his eyes widened in realisation. Almost on cue, the bus doors suddenly flung open as a parade of young children came barrelling out along with a few adults who looked rather distressed. One of them, a middle-aged woman with grey hair and pale skin, emerged from the bus with three young children in tow. The first two, a boy and a girl were unrecognisable to Ron but the final boy with jet black hair and a bored expression nearly caused Ron to yelp out in surprise.

"Bishop and Benson, please go directly to bed. And as for you…" the woman said as she turned her attention to the final boy. "Please see me in my office now."

"Yes, Mrs. Cole." The final boy spoke as he made his way inside the orphanage while Mrs. Cole merely shook her head at the boy.

"Oh, Tom, what did you do now?" Mrs. Cole said before entering the orphanage.

…

"We're in Tom's memories?!" Ron whispered as he and Hermione followed nine-year-old Tom Riddle into Mrs. Cole's office.

"It's the last place Dumbledore believe he would look and why are you whispering? We're in a memory, remember, we don't exist." Hermione said as the pair entered the office. Just like the orphanage, Mrs. Cole's office looked just as neat though it looked small and cramped. A makeshift bed was placed in the corner of the room where rows of metal filing cabinets filled its sides. One of the walls was filled with pictures of children. In all of them, Ron could see genuine smiling faces and laughter and some even had pictures of children with their adopted parents. This brought a small smile to Ron's face. Despite the gloomy outlook, it seemed that the orphanage was a good place for a child to live. Ron turned his attention to Tom who had a blank expression on his face though his eyes were closed until Mrs. Cole entered the room.

"So Tom, how are you feeling?" Mrs. Cole said as she stood in front of Tom while leaning against her desk. Though her arms were crossed, Mrs. Cole had a gentle look on her face as she studied the young orphan.

Tom looked at Mrs. Cole, his dark eyes now opened as he stared blankly at her. "I'm feeling fine," Tom said curtly as he averted his gaze.

"So, did you enjoy yourself on the trip?" Mrs. Cole asked.

"I suppose."

"What was your favourite part about it?"

Tom didn't answer. Instead, he heaved an impatient sigh as he folded his arms.

"Tom?" Mrs. Cole asked calmly. Tom turned his head to face his caretaker, his blank demeanour had changed to one of anger.

"Why don't you just tell me what I have to do instead of all these stupid questions!" Tom cried angrily as he glared at Mrs. Cole. Ron exchanged a look with Hermione as the pair expected Mrs. Cole to reprimand Tom for his tone. Instead, Mrs. Cole said nothing as she squatted to her knees.

"I just want to know what happened out there. Both Amy and Dennis said –"

"They're liars! Both of them are liars! If anything, Billy probably put them up to it!" Tom snapped. Mrs. Cole started to place her hand on Tom's shoulder before stopping herself.

"Actually, neither of them have said anything. They said that the three of you took a trip towards the cliffs and afterwards, they left you to do their thing."

"Really?" Tom said as if the idea that his two housemates hadn't thrown him under the bus baffled him.

"Really." Mrs. Cole said with a smile. Tom inched his head closer towards her, studying his caretaker intensely before softening his expression.

"I'm sorry. It's just that we were playing a game and we got carried away."

"What game?"

"Hide and Seek," Tom replied instantly though his eyes darted about the room.

"I see." Mrs Cole said as she raised her eyebrow. "So where did you hide? Because when I ask the other adults, they said they couldn't find any of you three."

Tom studied Mrs. Cole again, his dark eyes staring back at her before relenting. "We were in a cave. We started playing the game and ended up in a cave."

"Where you decided to go exploring?" Mrs. Cole said.

"Yes, we were playing the game and…wait a minute…" Tom said as his eyes widened in anger. "How did you know we went exploring?!"

"Amy told me." Mrs. Cole replied with a smirk as Tom glowered at her.

"You lied to me!"

"And you weren't?" Mrs. Cole said with a triumphant look as Tom could only glare in response. "Honestly, Tom, after all this time, I know that it's useless to get the truth out from you. All I care about is your safety and well-being as well as your friends. Amy and Dennis looked pretty shaken up when they came back from the cave. Can you tell me why?"

Ron expected Tom to keep silent or to shout back at Mrs. Cole. Tom did neither of these things. Instead, his face began to crumble as he looked back at Mrs. Cole with a sad expression on his face.

"They were both making fun of me just like Billy did. They said that I was weird and that I was a freak. So I scolded them back and maybe I might have said some things that were really bad but…" Tom stopped talking as he started to get misty-eyed.

"Seriously?!" Ron said to Hermione as both held an incredulous look to their face, watching Tom's little performance. Mrs. Cole, however, appeared not to be moved by the little display as she shook her head before looking back at Tom.

"Tom, there has to be more to it. Dennis was saying the Lord's Prayer repeatedly when I spoke to him. Whatever it is you did must have spooked them terribly."

"So take their side!" Tom yelled suddenly as he stood up from his chair. "That's what everyone does to me. It's fine! Just punish me and get it over with."

"I can't punish you if I don't know what you did. So can you please just tell me? I promise no matter what I will support you." Mrs. Cole pleaded as Tom shook his head. Sighing, Mrs. Cole stood to her feet.

"Very well. I will need you to help rake the yard tomorrow. You may go now, Tom."

Tom didn't move as he raised his head from staring at the ground. "Do you think I'm a freak, Mrs. Cole?"

"No, I do not." Mrs. Cole replied gently. "I just think you're a young boy whose temper sometimes gets the better of him. There's nothing wrong with you, Tom."

"Do you think I'm special?" Tom said suddenly as Mrs. Cole gave him a puzzled look.

"I think everyone is special in their own way, Tom. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Tom replied before sighing. "I'm sorry for what I did, Mrs. Cole. I'll apologise to Amy and Dennis tomorrow."

"That's good to hear." Mrs. Cole said as she motioned for the door. "You may go back to your room now, Tom."

Tom turned around as he made his way to the door before stopping in his tracks. Both Ron and Hermione followed Tom's gaze to an object that had been nailed at the door. It was a wooden cross with the figure of Jesus carved in its centre.

"Mrs. Cole, may I ask you something?" Tom said, turning around to face his caretaker.

"Certainly."

"Why do people say the Lord's Prayer?" Tom asked, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. "Why do we pray to someone who died many years ago?"

"There are many reasons as to why someone would say the Lord's Prayer." Mrs. Cole answered as she studied young Tom intently. "Some say it to remind themselves of who they are, others say it as a way to seek courage or contentment while reminding themselves that each one of them isn't perfect. As to why we pray to Him, I suppose it's because Jesus himself was a very special person."

"A person? Isn't he the Son of God?" Tom said as Mrs. Cole laughed.

"Yes, he is but there's so much more to that question, Tom. Why are you suddenly asking all these questions about Him? Are you finally becoming religious?"

"No, I'm just curious," Tom replied. "I've heard that this Jesus person had many powers. That he was magical. And that even after his death, we still pray in his name and I don't understand why."

"Yes, he did perform miracles according to the Bible." Mrs. Cole said. " I don't know about magical but Jesus was known to change water into wine, walk on water and even raise the dead. We pray to him because Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins. He's our Lord and saviour."

"He died for our sins?! Why would anyone die for us?" Tom exclaimed as the thought of it seemed to confuse him in some way.

"People aren't perfect, Tom, that is true." Mrs. Cole replied. "And that's why He is so special. To sacrifice oneself to save all of us. That's why we treat him with reverence, even watching our words so that we don't say his in vain."

"Wow…"Tom spoke as he looked awed by the thought. "Can I be like him?"

Mrs. Cole gave a light chuckle. "Well, you can strive to be as good as him although I don't anyone can be like him. Jesus is perfect, Tom. Perfect in every way."

"Perfect," Tom said as he looked to be deep in thought before smiling at Mrs. Cole. "Thank you for listening to me."

"Anytime." Mrs. Cole said with a smile. "I like this side of you, Tom. So inquisitive. Perhaps we can have more such discussions in the future."

"Of course," Tom said as he turned around, his back towards Mrs. Cole. Ron and Hermione studied the look on his face. There was something in his expression that appeared insidious as Tom sported a malicious grin while his eyes glinted underneath the light of the room. Staring at the cross once more before reaching for the doorknob, Ron could hear Tom whisper under his breath.

"Lord and Saviour. I like that." Tom said before leaving the room, as Ron and Hermione followed suit.

….

"That was weird," Ron said as he looked at Hermione who nodded.

"He actually said he wanted to be like Jesus." Hermione scoffed as she shook her head. "At least we know why he refers to himself as a Lord."

"Well, wizarding families also have Lords to their title. So he could have gotten the idea for that from them." Ron reasoned as Hermione nodded.

"But the way he acted around Mrs. Cole, that crying façade of his…I shudder to think what he really did to those kids." Hermione said before stopping in her tracks. "Wait a minute, where are we now?"

Ron stopped as well as his eyes started to look around them. No longer were they inside the orphanage but instead found himself staring down an empty corridor with oil lamps lighting the sides. Staring at a bench a few metres from them, Ron suddenly recognised where they were.

"Hermione, this is Hogwarts!" Ron said excitedly as both he and Hermione heard a loud chatter of voices coming from the adjacent corridor. Rushing towards the source of the sound, Ron and Hermione found themselves staring at a crowded corridor where groups of Hogwarts students chatted loudly as they made their way throughout the castle.

"We must have jumped memories. Where is…there he is!" Hermione exclaimed as she pointed towards a group of students. Tom now looked more like his Horcrux version although he seemed to be slightly younger. He was also not alone as Ron could see a group of Slytherin students gathered around him, all of them seemingly giving him admirable looks.

"Come back here, Warren!" came a voice from behind Ron as he turned to see a third year Ravenclaw student with pigtails and large glasses running past him in tears followed by a large Ravenclaw girl with brown curls chasing her. Hermione let out a gasp.

"Ron, that's Moaning Myrtle!" Hermione said as Ron's eyes widened in recognition.

"Leave me alone, Hornby!" Myrtle cried as without looking, she nearly crashed into one of the Slytherin boys surrounding Riddle.

"Watch where you're going, you filthy Mudblood!" the boy yelled as suddenly the corridor became quiet. Everyone, including Hornby, was now staring at the group of Slytherins and Myrtle who looked quite frightened.

"Oi! Don't call her that."

This time both Ron and Hermione gasped as an extremely tall and large third-year student pushed his way through the crowd. With bushy black hair which had not yet turned into a large beard and light skin, Rubeus Hagrid emerged from the sea of students like a towering ship sporting Gryffindor colours to a thunderstruck Hermione and Ron.

"Hagrid." The Slytherin boy drawled as he gave the half-giant a sneer. "Here's another one of your filthy creatures for you to protect. Make sure you take care of her properly otherwise she can't find a mate when she grows up. On second thought, maybe she can mate with one of those beasts you have in the Forbidden Forest."

This comment earned a chorus of laughs from the group of Slytherins though both Ron and Hermione noticed that Tom was quiet, rather he looked disinterested in the matter as though mocking Muggleborns was beneath him. Ron noticed that Tom stared at Hagrid, his eyes flashing as though a thought had occurred to him.

"Yer lot just watch your mouths," Hagrid growled as he made his way towards Myrtle. "You okay?" Hagrid asked as Myrtle just stared at him in terror.

"Leave me alone!" Myrtle yelled as she took off to the sound of jeers from the Slytherins.

"Be careful where you go. You don't want the monster to get to you, do you, Mudblood!" The Slytherin boy jeered.

"Stop calling her that!" Hagrid roared as he took a step forward though the Slytherin boy did not back down.

"Enough, Dolohov!"

The corridor grew silent as everyone turned their attention to Tom. With a chastising look on his face similar to Hermione, Tom gave Dolohov a reproachful as the latter cowered under his glare. Turning towards Hagrid, Tom fashioned a smile, one that looked genuine, as he nodded his head.

"I will be reporting Dolohov's actions to Professor Slughorn. Hagrid is right. We should not be using such terms, especially considering what is going on. Five points from Slytherin." Tom said as several students gasped. Ron and Hermione exchanged confusing looks as Tom, who seemed small compared to Hagrid, merely nodded his head before moving off, his gang of Slytherins following behind him. Ron and Hermione gave Hagrid, who had a bemused look on his face, one last stare before taking after Tom.

"What the hell was that about?" Ron asked as Hermione appeared to be deep in thought. Ron grunted in frustration before nudging Hermione who nearly leapt in the air before glaring back at Ron.

"Now is not the time to keep your thoughts to yourself, Hermione!" Ron snapped.

"Fine!" Hermione exclaimed. "You remember what I told you about the Chamber of Secrets and the diary? Well, I think this is the year Tom opened the Chamber, his fifth year. This is the year where Hagrid was framed by Tom for the Chamber opening."

"Wait, Hagrid was framed?" Ron asked.

"Yes, Hagrid was framed by Tom. Tom decided to close the Chamber because he didn't want Hogwarts to be closed but not before framing Hagrid." Hermione cried exasperatedly as the pair followed the group of Slytherins up the stairs and into an empty classroom.

"But how did Tom –" Ron began to speak before Hermione shushed him. The group of Slytherins, which consisted of Tom, Dolohov and three other boys were now gathered at the front of the class with Tom seated on the desk while the other boys sat in front of him.

"You took points off me?" Dolohov asked Tom, though his voice was quavered out of fear rather than anything else.

"That's because you're being an idiot, Dolohov!" A tall Slytherin with blond hair spoke as he gave Dolohov a withering look. "Now is not the time to draw attention to ourselves."

"Lestrange is right," Tom said darkly as he gave Dolohov a menacing stare. "Learn to control yourself and act more like a Slytherin, you fool."

"Apologies, my Lord," Dolohov spoke as he bowed his head. The gesture seemed to work as Tom's expression began to soften. Ron exchanged a look of amazement with Hermione who nodded. Even in his fifth year, his friends already addressed him by his future title.

"If I may ask again, my Lord." A weedy looking boy with messy brown hair spoke. "Why are you only Petrifying the Mudblood scum? Why not just be rid of them?"

"Because, Avery…" Tom said as he let out a frustrated sigh. "If I start killing Mudbloods, what would happen to Hogwarts? The school will be closed down and I will be sent back to that miserable orphanage."

"You could stay at my home, my Lord. It would be an honour to any of us." The last boy with sleek black hair spoke as the others also murmured their approval.

"That is indeed generous of you, Rosier, but as you all know, that fool Dumbledore has been keeping an eye on me since I first stepped into this school. If I were to leave that blasted orphanage without any reason and live at any of your places, he would know and I know he would object. I have considered writing to Dippet but that is only as a last resort. No, we will stick to the original plan. As long as the Mudbloods keep falling, their parents will remove them from the school but Hogwarts will remain open. This is my home and I intend to stay here for as long as I can."

"Of course, My Lord," Rosier spoke as the others nodded as well.

"Where is Abraxas Malfoy? I am in need of his service." Tom asked as Lestrange spoke up.

"He is currently in detention but whatever service you require, I will gladly help you, My Lord," Lestrange spoke as Tom studied him.

"I am in need of placing a valuable item in his vault for safekeeping. Is yours up to the task, Lestrange?" Tom asked as Lestrange smiled.

"Of course, my Lord. My family's vault is the most protected place in all of Great Britain, maybe even the world." Lestrange spoke as Dolohov gave a snort.

"All our vaults are," Dolohov spoke as Lestrange scowled at him. "It's in Gringotts, is it not?"

"Does yours come with the Gemino Curse, Dolohov? Because mine does together with a multitude of other curses and wards. Not to mention, even the Ministry doesn't have the authority to open our vault considering the Binding spell we have on any Ministry official forcing their way through."

"What about the goblins?" Tom asked as Lestrange bowed his head slightly.

"They are only authorised to open the vault should we want it but should any of them try to take anything, let's just say my family has a nasty surprise waiting for them," Lestrange said with a smile as Tom looked slightly impressed.

"Very well. I will make use of it."

"Oh, thank you, My Lord. Thank you!" Lestrange said as his face turned to delight.

"Now, leave me. I have some business to attend to." Tom spoke with authority as the four Slytherin boys stood to their feet. "Oh, and tell every Slytherin that Rubeus Hagrid is off-limits. Do so discreetly. I have plans for that giant oaf." Tom spoke. If such a request seemed strange, none of the other boys seemed to think any of it. Instead, each boy merely nodded before making their way out of the classroom, leaving Tom all alone.

"Not one to question his authority, are they?" Hermione spoke as Ron agreed. Even as a fifth year, Tom's influence over his peers was apparent for all to see. Turning his attention back to Tom, the handsome wizard looked to be deep in thought. Suddenly a smile came onto his face as Tom made a beeline for the door. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look before following him. As they walked, they noticed that Tom ignored every student he passed, including those who acknowledged him. However, he greeted each member of the faculty enthusiastically, all of whom gave him admiring looks.

"Quite the Slytherin, isn't he?" Hermione said as she made a gagging sound. Though Ron hated the thought, he couldn't help but admire Tom's personality. Even the way Tom carried himself had a certain dignity to it as he continued to gather admiring looks everywhere he went, including a few swooning ones from witches who stared at him.

"He's like a Quidditch star," Ron said as Hermione chuckled slightly. The thought of the Dark Lord playing Quidditch did seem unusual yet after the display that Tom put up for the sake of his reputation, Ron wouldn't put anything past him.

Reaching the second corridor of the castle, Tom stopped before a large, oak door as he adjusted his tie. A glance at the door told Ron that this was the office of a professor with the name Silvanus Kettleburn being imprinted in silver letters on the door. Before Tom could reach for the knob, the door flung open as a rather short wizard with wispy grey hair and hazel eyes exited the chamber.

"Professor Kettleburn," Tom said loudly as he gave the professor a slight bow. Professor Kettleburn turned his head upwards to face Tom as a look of delight crossed his face.

"Tom! How are you, my boy? How are you?" Kettleburn spoke enthusiastically as he fumbled with a large stack of papers. Instinctively, Tom raised his hands to offer his help to which Kettleburn gratefully accepted.

"I'm good, thank you, Professor," Tom spoke with a smile on his face, his voice silky and smooth as he beamed at the Professor. _He might be an evil wizard but young Tom is a fucking good actor!_ Ron thought as Tom walked alongside Professor Kettleburn down the corridor.

"I was just on my way to see Professor Beery about the Mandrakes when I came across your office, Professor," Tom spoke as Kettleburn nodded, his face now looking slightly sombre.

"Well, hopefully, the Potion would be ready in time. Horace is doing all he can for those poor unfortunate students."

"I tried to offer my help to Professor Slughorn but he turned me down," Tom said with a sigh. "I only wish I could do more to assist."

"Well, I can speak for Horace when I say that we are all grateful for your help, Tom, but this is a very delicate issue. It is unfortunate that such circumstances have fallen on us but what can we do, Tom, what can we do."

"Indeed, though I'm wondering…actually never mind, I'm just being nosy, that's all." Tom replied with a nervous tinge in his voice.

"Ask away, my boy, ask away."

"It's just that with everything going on with these attacks, I can help but wonder about the creature that's causing it." Tom sighed.

"Well, unfortunately, Petrification is a rare but not uncommon side-effect of many creatures," Kettleburn spoke as he frowned in thought. "What creature do you have in mind?"

"Well, I couldn't help but think that maybe…we might be wrong as to what the victims are experiencing. Petrification is a catatonic state, not unlike some of the creatures you've taught us like the Goblin Octopus and the Fernwig Fly. A bite from any of these creatures could induce that same state in our victims."

Kettleburn stopped in his tracks as he turned to gape at Tom. "My boy….that's exactly what I told Dumbledore! Instead of just trying to find this so-called monster or Heir of Slytherin, we should be looking into the type of creature doing it!"

Kettleburn clapped his hands loudly while chatting excitedly. "Yes, those creatures do come in mind but do you know that there are other forms of creatures that can induce the same sort of paralysis? Creatures like the infamous Chinese Centiworm or one of the Trapezing Bats of the Amazon can do such damage as well! Not to mention, of course, an Acromantula."

"Acromantula, what's that?" Tom asked, feigning ignorance though Ron and Hermione could see his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

"Acromantula is a giant species of spider native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia. They have eight black eyes and can grow up even as large as a small elephant. They often hunt in groups although each colony has a king or queen reigning over them. Females are typically larger than males though it is common for the males to take over the reins. For one to cause a similar reaction as those faced by our victims, that Acromantula would have to be as large as a small dog."

"I see," Tom said politely before shaking his head. "Anyways, forgive me for prattling on, Professor. I do sometimes think too much of such things."

"Oh, nonsense my boy, nonsense," Kettleburn said as he beamed at Tom. "Your curiosity and impetus for learning is something I wish I could instil in all my students. Fortunately for us, if it is an Acromantula, the Mandrake Potion will also serve as an antidote."

"That's good to hear," Tom replied as the pair walked down the corridor. As Ron tried to follow them, Hermione grabbed him by the arm to slow him down.

"He's very clever, no doubt about it," Hermione spoke as she glared at the back of Tom. "It's obvious Tom already knew that Hagrid had an Acromantula for a pet and no doubt, read about what it can do. Now, he's planted that thought into Kettleburn's head so that the professor will back up his story that Hagrid opened the chamber."

"Hagrid had a pet spider?" Ron said with a shudder. He hated spiders.

"Yes, apparently Neville and Harry had the unfortunate task of meeting Aragog in the forest."

"_He named_ _the spider_?"

"Seriously, that's your takeaway from this?" Hermione said huffily. "Come on, Ron, we need to focus on getting out of your head."

"And exactly how do we do that?" Ron said as he stopped walking. "Hermione, all we've done so far is look through two of Tom's memories. What are we even supposed to do?"

Hermione scratched her head before taking a deep breath. "We just need to look at what Dumbledore said. He said something about you having to do what Tom could never do. That was the key for us to get out of here safely."

"Okay, except it seems that Tom's been handling his situation just fine. Everything he has planned has worked in his favour." Ron replied.

"Then perhaps that's the key. It's not something that Tom sought out to do but something he could never do, even when presented with the opportunity."

"And that something is what I have to do?" Ron exclaimed doubtfully. "Still seems vague, Hermione."

"It's the best we got," Hermione said in exasperation as she turned to look down the corridor. "Hey, where did Tom go?"

Ron and Hermione took off down the corridor. As they turned around the corner, Ron suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Hermione snapped.

"Shut up for a second and look!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione froze in her step as she looked around her. Instead of ending up down another corridor, they found themselves standing in the middle of a large toilet with cubicles in front of them while a series of faucets and mirrors stood in the centre of the room. _Another memory_ Ron thought as he looked around.

"How did we end up here?" Ron said as Hermione gave a squeak.

"I know where we are. We're in the second-floor girl's bathroom. Ron, this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!" Hermione cried out loud.

"Wait, the entrance to the Chamber is inside a girl's bathroom?!" Ron exclaimed. Before Hermione could respond, the pair could hear a voice coming from the circle of taps on the other side. Turning around the bend, both Ron and Hermione yelled in fright.

In front of them stood a giant serpent with vivid, green skin and looked twenty feet in length. It had large, piercing yellow eyes and its skin had armour plating though parts of it were covered in scarlet feathers. Yet what frightened Ron the most was its enormous mouth where long, sharp fangs with dripping black blood surrounded the interior of its jaws. In front of the serpent was Tom, who sat on the floor with a smirk on his face as he continued to hiss to the creature.

"It's the Basilisk!" Hermione said as her face looked white. "I've seen it before, obviously not directly otherwise I wouldn't be here with you."

"Fuck, that's the creature that terrorised the school?! How the hell did it get around? The thing's massive!" Ron said as he and Hermione took several steps back until they were almost touching the cubicle behind them. Though Ron knew he couldn't be physically harmed by the memory of the Basilisk, it was impossible not to be terrified by such a ferocious and vile beast.

"It moves through the pipes that go all around Hogwarts. The Basilisk can shrink its size to fit in." Hermione whimpered. Before either of them could say anything, a loud voice from behind them gave both students a start.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!"

"What the hell?!" Ron said as he stared at the cubicle door which was directly in front of the snake while Hermione's eyes widened in realisation.

"God, no!" Hermione cried as the voice came again. "I can hear you and you're definitely a boy so please leave before I report you!" The voice was familiar to Ron as he turned to see Riddle doing his best to usher the snake to leave through the gap in the sinks.

"I can still hear you…you know what, never mind…if you think that you can just waltz in here, then you are very much –"

"Myrtle NO!" Hermione yelled in vain as the cubicle door swung open as a young Myrtle stepped forward to come face to face with the snake. The effect was almost instantaneous as Myrtle's eyes widened before the young witch fell onto the floor, dead.

"No!" Tom cried out loud before glaring at his snake and whispering large hissing sounds. The Basilisk, which had been licking its fangs at the sight of the dead witch, closed its eyes before turning and disappearing down the gap which was now closing. As Tom crouched down to inspect Myrtle, so did Ron and Hermione. Myrtle's face was forever etched in horror and though she looked as if she was frozen in shock, all three of them knew that she was dead. Hermione pointed Ron towards her glasses which were now cracked on the floor.

"If she had those on, Myrtle would be still alive. Instead, she stared directly at it." Hermione whispered sadly as Ron nodded his head. Both of them turned to Tom who looked to be frozen in shock as well.

The black-haired wizard was now beside Myrtle's body, his hands carefully placed so as not to disturb the body. Tom studied the body as his eyes trailed up and down the witch lying on the floor before shutting his eyes, his face now forming a frown.

"Wait, is he upset?" Ron said as he pointed to Tom whose expression seemed to mirror grief. "The Dark Lord is upset about killing a Muggleborn?"

"No, it can't be," Hermione whispered though she too was fascinated at the look on Tom's face. "But it does seem like he's affected by what he just did."

Ron let out a snort. "Yeah, I'm sure he's all broken up because of it."

"Well, it's not surprising. This was his first kill. Tom had never killed anyone before this and he is technically still young. Perhaps it's possible for him to feel remorse for what he's done." Hermione reasoned as she thought to what McGonagall had previously told her about evil.

_Even the Devil was an angel before he fell._

All of a sudden, Tom's eyes sprang open as Hermione gave a tiny yelp.

"You, stupid, idiotic little girl," Tom whispered angrily as he glared at the body of Myrtle. "Do you have any idea what you've done to me? I swear, if they close down Hogwarts because of you, I will do my best to torture your pathetic, little spirit and hunt down your family before tearing them apart."

Tom removed his wand from his robes and for a moment, both Ron and Hermione expected him to do curse at Myrtle despite how useless it would be. Instead, Tom whispered an incantation to which a small, black wisp of smoke came out from his wand before disappearing out of the room. Tom pocketed back his wand, his face now softening as Tom stared back at the witch.

"So this is how it feels like," Tom whispered with a blank expression on his face. Ron and Hermione watched as a small smile started to form on Tom's lips before turning into a smirk. As the smirk turned into laughter, Ron felt a shudder as he stared into the dark eyes of Tom which now held a malicious glint to them. This was the version of Tom from the Horcrux, his facial expressions now matching the evil look that the previous Tom held as he savoured what he had done.

"He's laughing." Hermione gasped as if her eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"He's evil, Hermione. I thought you already knew that." Ron said as Hermione shook her head.

"It's not that I don't believe, Ron, it's just…he just committed murder and couldn't care less about what he'd done. Even serial killers have a moment where they felt guilt or remorse but Tom…"

"He's a monster, Hermione," Ron said as Hermione turned to face him. "He kills Muggleborns, Hermione, that's what he does."

"But we're not talking about killing an animal or a plant here, Ronald. We're talking about killing a human being. A human being who had a family, who was once a baby, who grew up with people who knew them, who had good days and bad days, whose experiences shape them up and who probably has plans for the future and now all that…it's just gone. There's no time travel, no going back to fix things, it's just…gone." Hermione said as Ron stared at the witch. Hermione looked quite distressed and Ron had an inkling as to why that was. Nevertheless, he pushed the thought away from his head.

"Hermione, we need to focus," Ron said as Hermione nodded her head.

"It's okay. I'm okay. It's just…never mind… you're right. I always thought that there will be some form of hope for Tom, you know. I get that he grows up to become a monster but I thought that maybe there would have been some hope."

"There's no hope for someone like him," Ron said darkly as Hermione turned to look at him with a strange look on her face. "What?"

Before Hermione could respond, the door to the girl's bathroom swung open and in walked a girl of average height with messy black hair and a pointed nose followed by Lestrange who closed the door and stood guard by it. Hermione squeaked once more.

"That's Walburga Black! Sirius's mom!" Hermione exclaimed as she recognised the witch whose head hung at Grimmauld's Place. Walburga walked towards the scene, her green eyes widening at the sight before her before looking at Tom.

"Is she…" Walburga asked as Tom nodded his head. The shocked look on Walburga's face only lasted a few seconds before a small smile appeared on her lips.

"What would you like me to do, my Lord?" Walburga asked as Tom took a step towards her.

"I need a favour, Walburga."

"Anything, my Lord, anything!" Walburga said excitedly, her face now eager to fulfil any request from Tom.

"I need you to report this. Say that you've entered the bathroom and found her here. I need you to be hysterical. As unfortunate as it may be, I will need you to shake her a little, maybe even shed a few tears. Show that you have concern for the Mudblood. Can you do that?"

Though the thought of showing concern for a Muggleborn, even a dead one, would disgust someone like Walburga, the thought of helping Tom far outweighed any reservations she might have. Walburga nodded eagerly as Tom gave her a curt nod.

"Wait a few minutes until both Lestrange and myself are far from here. If anyone should enter before that, forget about that and just start…bawling." As Tom headed towards the door, Walburga called out to him.

"My Lord, if it pleases you, my family will be hosting a gathering at my home during the summer. It will be an honour for us to host you, my Lord." Walburga said hastily although she had a hopeful look on her face, reflecting her desire to curry some goodwill for the future Dark Lord.

"Do a good job and I'll consider it," Tom said dryly as he and Lestrange took their leave as both Ron and Hermione followed them.

"My Lord," Lestrange spoke as soon as they entered back into the corridor. "I would like to offer my gratitude. This school is better off without one less Mudblood."

"True." Tom sighed. "Unfortunately, that stupid bint dying was not part of the plan. The school might be closed down because of this."

"What would you do, my Lord?" Lestrange spoke as Tom rubbed his forehead, his expression deep in thought.

"I will write to Dippet, requesting that I can remain in Hogwarts indefinitely should the school be closed. However, should he choose to reject me, then I'm afraid I will have to close the Chamber of Secrets. As much as I enjoy taking out Mudbloods, it would serve no benefit to me to have the school closed."

"I understand, my Lord," Lestrange spoke as the pair continued to stroll towards the staircase. "But wouldn't the school still be closed even if you shut the Chamber?"

"Not if the person who opened the Chamber gave himself up," Tom replied as Lestrange gave him a puzzled look. "Do not worry, Lestrange, you know me. I always have a plan."

"That you do, my Lord. That you do." Lestrange said while giving Tom an admiring look. As the two reached the top of the staircase, a loud, wailing scream could be heard down the corridor. Ron and Hermione turned around for a moment and by the time they looked back, the scene around them had changed.

….

"Hermione, I have a feeling we're not in Hogwarts anymore," Ron said to Hermione who shot him a strange look. "What?"

"Nothing. You just made a reference to a famous Muggle movie." Hermione smiled as Ron looked blankly at her before admiring the scenery before them. They were standing in a country lane bordered by high, tangled hedgerows, beneath a summer sky as bright and blue as a forget-me-not. Less than a metre from them was Tom Riddle, pale-skinned, black hair and as handsome as ever walking down the path. As they walked down the lane, they came across a wooden sign with two arms, one pointing back to where they came and the other straight ahead.

"Little Hangleton!" Ron exclaimed. "Hermione, this is the memory where Tom confronts Morfin."

"Yes, I know," Hermione replied as the pair followed Tom down the lane. There was nothing to see but the hedgerows, the wide blue sky overhead and the swishing figure of Tom ahead. Then the lane curved to the left and fell away, sloping steeply down a hillside, so that they had a sudden, unexpected view of a whole valley laid out in front of them. Ron could see a village, undoubtedly Little Hangleton, nestled between two steep hills, its church and graveyard clearly visible. Across the valley, set on the opposite hillside, was a handsome manor house surrounded by a wide expanse of velvety green lawn.

"Riddle Manor," Ron exclaimed with awe as he stopped for a moment to admire its beauty. Tom had done the same, although he wore a grim expression as he stared at the house. Reaching into his pockets, Tom pulled out a flask before unscrewing its cap and drinking down the contents. At first, nothing seemed to happen until Tom gave a shudder and a smile broke onto his face. Hermione, who had been observing the entire thing in silence, suddenly had a look of realisation on her face.

"That's clever," Hermione said grimly as Ron stared at her. "I've always wondered how Tom was able to subdue Morfin without using magic. Don't forget, Tom is still underage here and any magic made in the presence of an underaged wizard would automatically activate the Trace. He just used an Aging Potion, if I'm not mistaken."

"Aging Potion?! But he still looks the same." Ron said, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

"Of course he does, he only needs to be older by a few months to be seventeen."

"Wait, so you're saying if I want to do underage magic outside, all I have to do is take an Aging Potion?" Ron cried incredulously. "Wouldn't someone have figured that out by now?"

"Not your standard Aging Potion, Ron," Hermione replied as the pair followed Tom. "One that has to be modified so that the person who takes it won't get caught. It's extremely tricky, quite difficult but possible. And he is Voldemort."

"That's true," Ron replied, thinking if anyone could have pulled it off, it would most definitely be Tom. They were now walking down the steep downward slope where the lane turned right into a gap in the hedge. Walking down the narrow, dirt road which was crooked and filled with potholes, they came towards a clump of dark trees. As the copse opened up, Ron's eyes could discern the small house half-hidden amongst the tangle of trunks.

"What a horrible place to live in," Hermione whispered as Ron nodded his head. As from the memory, Ron's first thought was that the place had to be inhabited; its walls were mossy and so many tiles had fallen off the roof that the rafters were visible in places. Nettles grew all around it, their tips reaching the windows, which were tiny and thick with grime. On its front door, someone had nailed a dead snake on it. As Tom made his way slowly towards the shack, Ron grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Hermione, wait," Ron said as Hermione stopped in her tracks. "Maybe we shouldn't go inside. We've seen this memory before. We should at least try to do something different if we want to get out from my head."

"Okay." Hermione agreed as they watched Tom knocked on the door. "What do you reckon we do?"

Ron ran his fingers through his red hair as he looked around him. Despite the cloudless sky, the shadows cast by the trees made the copse quite dark.

"How about we try just walking away from this memory?" Ron said as he turned around to walk back towards the dirt track. After several steps, Ron found his feet unable to move.

"What the hell?" Ron said as Hermione gave a shrug.

"It didn't hurt to try but I figured we couldn't leave. We're tied to the parameters of Tom's memory and that's as far as you can go."

"Bloody hell!" Ron cried in exasperation as he threw his hands into the air. Ron could feel the exhaustion growing in him as he fell to the ground, sitting down on a patch of grass.

"Ron!" Hermione cried in alarm as she sat down next to him. "Get up!"

"Leave me alone, Hermione." Ron groaned. "I'm tired and I need to sit."

"That's precisely why I can't leave you alone!" Hermione snapped. "If you were to fall asleep, so does your body and that would mean the timeline would be reset!"

"Wait, so I can't even rest for a bit?!" Ron growled as he punched his fist to the ground. "Bloody hell, Hermione! Why didn't you say that before?"

"I thought you knew," Hermione said as she grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back up. "Come on, Ron! If you stand, you're less likely to fall asleep!" Hermione pleaded.

"Let go off my arm, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed as he pulled his arm away, almost causing Hermione to fall. "You've done enough already, haven't you?"

"Done enough, what are you talking about?" Hermione demanded as Ron looked away. He had promised himself he would deal with it afterwards though it seemed, given their situation, there may not be an _afterwards_.

"Nothing," Ron mumbled as Hermione smacked him on the arm. "What the hell, Granger?!"

"Say it," Hermione said fiercely as she glared at him. "I dare you to say it!"

"Fine!" Ron roared as he stood to his feet. "You want me to say it? You want to talk about this now?"

"Can't think of a better time, can I?" Hermione goaded him as Ron felt the rage returning with a vengeance.

"Okay, fine! You want to know what I really think?!" Ron roared. His temper was now coming back in force and Ron knew there was no taming the beast. He had to let it all out now.

"I can't bloody take it anymore! I can't take all the memories, all the lies, I can't even bloody stand you!" Ron yelled, riding on the wave of vengeance. "The fact that Dumbledore asked me to work together with the granddaughter of my parents' murderer disgust the _fuck _out of me! I can't stand listening to you. I can't stand looking at you. Bloody hell, I can't stand even being close to you! And to think I actually felt sorry for your grandfather passing away! Merlin, if anything, he got off easy, the fucking coward! He's the bloody reason why Ginny and I aren't close, why my family fell apart, why my loving parents are dead! He ruined my life, Hermione, you hear me, he _fucking _ruined it!"

As Ron glared at Hermione in anger, he could see the witch's eyes brimming as she stared back at him, almost ready to break down in tears. Yet this time, Ron didn't care.

"You don't think I know that, Ron?!" Hermione yelled back though her voice seemed to be cracking. "You don't think I can't understand how you must feel or how horrible I feel having found out the truth? I've been denying the idea of it for quite a while now but even I had to face up to the fact that Tom was telling the truth! My grandfather was my hero, Ron! I looked up to him and when I grew up, I couldn't understand why my parents hardly even mention him anymore! Now I know the truth, now I know what he did. And it's killing me, Ron, it hurts like hell!"

Even with Hermione swearing, Ron couldn't bring himself to calm down. A dam had been broken and all his angry thoughts were flowing like a thunderous wave, unable to stop.

"A hero? He's a _fucking murderer!_ He should have been locked up in Azkaban, being Crucified over and over again for the rest of his life! Did you see what he did to my dad who tried to help him? Or the way he blew up my mother's brains?! MY MOTHER'S BRAINS WERE ON THE BLOODY FLOOR! All they ever wanted to help Muggles and this is how a Muggle repays them! Everything my parents fought for, gone in an instant!"

"He was under the Imperius curse," Hermione whispered as her face turned white. "He didn't know –"

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR HIM!" Ron bellowed as he advanced on Hermione, who cowered under his rage. "Don't you dare try to justify what he did, what Dumbledore did! My parents were good, innocent people and see what them being good got them. Maybe I should fall asleep and let Tom take over! This world is fucked up anyways, it can't be helped!"

"And what about Ginny? Or Draco? If Tom takes over, do you honestly believe that he's going to spare them?" Hermione snapped. "He's a monster, Ron. Pure evil! Look at how he reacted to killing Myrtle!"

"No more of a monster than your grandfather, Hermione," Ron spat back as Hermione's face now contorted into anger.

"You. Take. That. Back." Hermione whispered angrily as she removed her wand. "My grandfather made a mistake but he is nothing like Tom."

Ron took a step forward as he removed his wand while fixing a defiant look towards Hermione. "Never. He's a killer, Tom's a killer, there's nothing separating the two."

"Ronald Weasley, I'm warning you…" Hermione whispered dangerously. "Take that back before I hex you so bad you wish you were dead!" As Ron stared at Hermione's wand, a rational part of his brain urged him to back down. Yet all Ron could see was his mother carrying him in the garden, his mother whose brains were splattered on the ground, his mother who loved him dearly and would have given a much happier life surrounded by family. _I don't care_ Ron thought angrily. _He killed my mother._

"No," Ron replied as he raised his wand. "So what are you going to do about it… _Mudblood_?"

A loud _CRACK!_ sounded as Ron and Hermione found themselves being blinded by a flash of bright light.

…..

Ron felt himself landing on something hard as the white light dissipated from his vision. He was staring down a long, wide hallway which was lined with a red carpet and surrounded by lamps. Along the walls were Muggle oil paintings of people, some of whom bear a resemblance to Tom.

"We're inside the Riddle House," Ron exclaimed as his eyes caught sight of Tom who was now standing in front of a large, oak door. Ron surmised that Tom must have Apparated to the hillside where the Riddle House stood and slowly made his way up the hill. The same thought seemed to occur to Hermione who stared at Tom before turning her attention to Ron.

Their wands were still drawn out as Hermione and Ron stood staring at each other. Though his anger had been replaced by surprise, Ron could feel it creeping back though another emotion was now growing in him. Ron could see that Hermione had a similar reaction as her curiosity seemed to get the better of her. With silence and tension between them, Hermione walked towards Tom, shoving slightly against Ron as she stood behind the Dark Lord. Suppressing a harsh remark towards the witch, Ron followed suit as the pair followed Tom into the room.

The drawing-room at Malfoy Manor was one of Ron's favourite places to be yet it was nothing compared to the Riddle House. Spacious beyond his expectations, Ron found himself staring into a large room filled with ostentatious items from beautiful Ming vases to suits of shining armour placed all around the room. In its centre was a large brown table, flanked by two red sofas of intricate design and expensive material. There was a fireplace with a roaring fire as well as a large portrait of a family of three hanging over its mantelpiece. Though Ron couldn't recognise the parents who both had stern faces and wore expensive suits, the child who sat between them could have been Tom himself, an identical twin whose only difference was that he appeared older.

On the other hand, Tom looked to be indifferent to what surrounded him. Instead, he looked to be rummaging inside his robes with a blank look on his face and a cold expression in his eyes. All of a sudden, the door to the room swung open again and in walked the person from the family portrait, his eyes widening at the sight of Tom in front of him.

At first, confusion came across the other man's face as he stared at Tom before that expression soon gave way to a frown.

"Who are you?" the person spoke as he studied Tom intently. "Are you one of Father's guests?"

Tom said nothing as he continued to stare at the man, his eyes holding a deadly glare as he stood perfectly still.

"Are you deaf?" the man now cried, a tinge of annoyance in his tone. "Did you not hear me? Wait, did Frank put you up to this? I knew Father should have gotten rid of that old coot after the war."

Tom said nothing, though this time he took a step towards the man. Even though Tom was a sixteen-year-old boy, Ron could feel the rage radiating from him as the man now looked slightly disturbed and uneasy at the sight of the tall, handsome wizard. For the first time since they arrived, Hermione finally spoke.

"His father," Hermione whispered with recognition in her eyes. The thought soon clicked in his head as Ron stared back at Tom who was now sporting a familiar ring on his hand while the other appeared to be holding something in his robes.

_That's Tom's father. This is when he murdered his father and his grandparents!_ Ron thought frantically as Tom broke the silence, his voice as cold and dangerous.

"Hello, Father."

At first, Tom Riddle Senior looked bewildered at what his son said. Confusion gave away to curiosity as Tom's father studied Tom's appearance, silently processing what seemed to be a younger version of himself. After what seemed like an eternity, comprehension soon crossed the elder Riddle's face as he spoke softly.

"No…it can't be…how?"

"Merope," Tom replied curtly as he paced around his father. "My mother."

"Merope?" Tom's father repeated, looking even more dumbfounded than ever. Ron looked towards Hermione who was just as confused as he was.

"Don't pretend like you don't know!" Tom snapped as he glared daggers at the man. "I have spent countless days tracing my past and where I came from. For many years, I thought my father was a powerful wizard and my mother was some pathetic whore whom he slept with and discarded like a piece of parchment. I've spent an eternity pouring through documents and writings, trying to find out my history but never once did I come across any family bearing the name Riddle."

"Wizard…parchment…what are you talking about?!" Tom Sr. said looking more confused than ever.

"Only in recent years did I finally have to admit defeat and face the truth." Tom continued, ignoring his father's reaction. "My father was not a wizard. So I looked into my mother, forcing myself to return to that wretched orphanage and finally, after months of research, I finally came across the truth. That my mother was a witch and my father was nothing but an arrogant Muggle who thought himself better than her. Who married her and shagged her and finally deciding to be done with her the moment he found out that she was pregnant with me. And yet despite the hardships that I have to face, here I stand before you, the prodigal son returns to confront his father!"

Tom Senior's eyes widened as he gaped, aghast at Tom's revelation. As he stood there, white in the face, Tom's father reached for a nearby chair and instantly collapsed into it.

"You're my son…. I have a son?...No, no…I would remember…But you do _look_ so much like me…" Tom Sr. stammered as he ran his fingers through his hair. Tom gave a scoff as he gave his father a look of pure contempt.

"Pathetic. But then again, I expected nothing less from a Muggle." Tom said scornfully as he pulled a wand. "Muggle?" Tom's father said though Ron's attention had shifted to something else. Ron glanced at the wand in Tom's hand, which was much shorter than expected. _That's Morfin's wand! He killed his father with it _Ron thought as a quick look at Hermione showed that she was thinking the same thing.

Tom's movement did not go unnoticed as his father looked startled while staring back at Tom with fear.

"What is that?"

"Oh, this?" Tom laughed wickedly. "It's called a wand, Father. It's what I'm going to use to kill you. Goodbye, Father. Say hello to my mother for me."

"NO!"

At first, Ron thought that the older Tom must have shouted back in fear, only to realise that both Riddles were now facing the door. At the entrance stood two people, an elderly man and woman, both of whom Ron recognised from the portrait.

_Tom's grandparents._

"It can't be…" Tom's grandmother spoke as she stared between Tom and his father. "Jacob, you said –"

"Laura." Jacob Riddle replied in a warning tone as he glared at Tom, his expression a mixture of anger and disbelief. "You're not supposed to be alive. They said both she and her son died."

"Who told you that? Was it Mrs. Cole?" Tom demanded, dropping his hand though Morfin's wand still remained firmly in his grasp. Before Jacob could answer, Tom's father spoke up.

"Father, what is going on? You knew that I have a son? Who is Merope?" Tom exclaimed as he stood to his feet, staring at his father for answers. Jacob Riddle opened his mouth to speak, only to let out a sigh.

"The past always comes back to haunt us," Jacob said as he made his way past his son towards the fireplace. Reaching for a poker, Jacob tended to the burning coals on the hearth before turning to face his son. Taking a deep breath, Jacob started to explain.

"When you were young, Tom, your mother and I always spoiled you. You were our only child and we loved you dearly. There was nothing that we wouldn't do to protect you. About seventeen years ago, you were dating young Lady Cecilia. Your mother and I couldn't be more proud of your choice, such a distinguished lady from a good family. Then, one day, out of nowhere, you decided to dump her for a new girl, a poor, uncivilised girl named Merope Gaunt who lived just on the outskirts of our village. You became besotted with her, your romance with that girl growing day by day. Safe to say, your mother and I were dumbfounded. What could have caused this sudden obsession, no one could tell us. We pleaded with you for days, trying to get you to see the light. That girl was not right for you, you who come from a better class of people, you who will inherit our fortune and create our legacy. Merope Gaunt was a stinking mongrel, hardly befitting of someone so pure."

Both Ron and Hermione looked to each other, taking in the irony of the situation.

"But then the wolf in sheep's clothing finally reared its ugly head for one day, without informing myself or your mother, you and her ran off towards the town's parish and eloped. The news spread like wildfire, the squire's son had run off to marry the tramp's daughter. The die was cast and I spend two weeks trying to convince you to divorce her but you refused. So one day, I confronted Merope without your knowledge and lo and behold, she told me the truth. That, and though this may be impossible to believe, Merope Gaunt was a witch and she had used some sort of love spell on you. Then she revealed the worst news that I have ever received in my life, that the reason for your sudden marriage was because she was pregnant with your child."

Tom Sr's face had now turned a deathly white while Tom stood, glaring at his grandfather with contempt.

"Can you imagine?" Jacob cried loudly as he pounded his fist on the table. "A child! Fortunately for us, she hadn't told you at this point and that she had a change of heart. Merope foolishly believed that because you were now a father, that you were finally, truly in love with her. So she removed whatever curse she had upon you and thankfully, you came to your senses and rejected her. Your mother and I quickly sent you off to Paris to clear your head but there was still the issue of the child. Legally, that child of hers would still have some say in our fortune, not to mention the scandal it would cause if the truth came out. So long as Merope Gaunt was trotting about in the village with her belly hanging out, questions would be raised. I tried to persuade her for abortion but Merope wouldn't hear of it. So I arranged for her to stay in London in secret where she and her child could live out the rest of their days in secret, never to return here. I offered her gold in exchange for her silence but the tramp refused. I should have realised then what she intended to do."

"It would have been a happy ending for all of us," Laura added, as she now turned her attention to Tom. "If it hadn't been for your bitch mother."

"Mother, what are you saying?" Tom's father asked while Tom said nothing, his eyes fixing Laura with a cold stare.

"When she was in the final days of her pregnancy, Merope wrote you a letter, wanting to reveal the truth. She wanted her son to know her father and decided that perhaps upon seeing the child, you would have a change of heart. Luckily for us, your father intercepted the letter and burned it before it could reach your eyes. But we knew it would only be a matter of time before the truth reared its ugly head again. Not to mention, you were finally getting better, you even started seeing someone new. So your father and I made a choice, a choice in which I would gladly pay over and over again if it means protecting you, Tom."

"What did you do?" Tom Sr whispered as Laura took a deep breath.

"We visited Merope one final time in London. Her apartment was a mess and she had been living off scraps, even selling some of her heirlooms for gold though I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy those horrible things. Your father and I tried one last time to persuade her but Merope was stubborn. She was determined to see you, that she felt guilty for tricking you and hoped that by revealing the truth, you would see the light. But she never got the chance. Because…"

"Because?"

Laura looked to her husband, who now had a resigned look on his face.

"Because we killed her," Jacob said passively as Hermione let out a gasp. Ron turned his attention to Tom who now wore a shocked look on her face while his father shook his head in disbelief, his widening eyes staring a hole through his parents.

"No…no…Mother, tell me it's not true!" Tom Sr pleaded to his mother who nodded her head.

"It's true," Laura replied coldly. "Merope and I were having tea and when she wasn't looking, your father slipped something in her drink. A slow-acting poison that would have taken care of both Merope and her son. Since we visited in secret, no one knew we were there and I had laid a false trail so that the authorities would not suspect us. The last we heard was that Merope Gaunt had stumbled into an orphanage and tried to give birth but both she and her child had perished."

"You killed an innocent woman." Tom Sr whispered in disbelief as his mother gave him an incredulous look.

"Innocent? Innocent?!" Laura spoke indignantly. "That vile woman put a spell on you and forced you to marry her and have her child. She _raped_ you, Tom. Death is befitting for someone like her."

"The poison should have worked," Jacob added as he now staring suspiciously at Tom. "And if Merope had died, then so should her son. Was the orphanage lying to us or perhaps you are?"

"I never did trust that woman," Laura said bitterly. "I always knew that Mrs. Cole was hiding something."

"How did he survive?" Ron turned to Hermione who, like Tom, appeared to be deep in thought. Suddenly, the expression on Tom's face began to change and so did Hermione's, with the latter now looking stricken.

"Merope. She must have used her magic to save her son."

"But Dumbledore said she never even lifted her wand," Ron whispered as Hermione turned to look at him.

"Not all magic requires a wand, Ron. Merope loved her son. She sacrificed everything to allow him to live." Hermione whispered as a tear dripped down her cheek. "Just like Harry's mother."

For the first time, Ron felt his heart ache slightly for Tom. Just like him, Tom had a loving mother who was murdered by Muggles. Ron could only guess as to how angry Tom must be feeling, the rage evident in the handsome wizard's eyes as Ron watched Tom gripping his wand even harder. Before he could do anything, Tom's father spoke once more.

"This doesn't make sense!" Tom Sr yelled out as he glared at everyone present in the room before deciding on his father. "You said that I rejected her, right? That means that I must know who she is, or at least have some idea as to the mother of my child-"

"We don't know that this IS your child!" Laura interjected.

"But I don't know anything! I have no fucking clue as to who this Merope girl is! How is that possible?" Tom Sr exclaimed, the handsome Muggle now tugging his hair in desperation.

"That's the one thing that still baffles me," Jacob answered as he exchanged a look with his wife. "About a year after you returned from Paris, we passed by that abandoned shack and you suddenly asked me who lived there. I didn't want to get my hopes up but then Laura insisted that we asked you about her and you couldn't tell us a single thing about Merope Gaunt. Perhaps whatever spell she had used on you had caused you to lose your memory. We decided not to question further, it seemed that our prayers had been answered."

"So it's all true, then?!" Tom Sr cried as he began to contemplate the situation. "You really killed her? You and Mother?!"

"We loved you, son," Jacob replied.

"We would have done anything to protect you," Laura added as she reached out for her son who backed away so fast that he nearly stumbled to the floor.

"No…you're…you're murderers! Both of you! I had no part in this!" Tom Sr exclaimed in disgust as he turned to Tom. "If you are truly my son, then please know that I had no idea about _any _of this! If I had known, I would have stopped them. I truly would have."

"Tom…" Jacob began to speak.

"SHUT UP!" Tom Sr yelled in a frenzied manner as he glared at his father. "You've done enough, haven't you? Both of you! How could…I would have never believed…now, I get it. Now I understand why the Lord struck me with my situation! He was punishing me for your choices!"

"Tom, what we did has nothing to do with your issue!"

"Save it, Mother!" Tom Sr snarled as he glowered at Laura. "You laid this curse on me! My last two marriages, gone because of it. And all that time wasted seeing every professional I know, doing charity and praying to the Lord for forgiveness. All of it for nothing. Because nothing I do can ever redeem myself in His eyes!"

"Tom…"

"I CAN'T GIVE YOU A CHILD, FATHER!" Tom Sr roared in anger as his loud tone startled his parents. "I can't conceive! It wasn't Mary's fault, it wasn't Patricia's fault, it was mine. All those nights I spent, crying and wishing that I was a father only to find out that I actually _am_ one! Both of you deserve to spend the rest of your days, rotting in prison!"

"Prison?" Tom spoke up for the first time, his voice as cold and malicious as it had ever been. All three members of the Riddle family were now turning their attention to Tom, who was now looking at the door. All of a sudden, all the doors and windows slammed shut as a gust of cold wind burst from the fireplace and extinguished the flames, leaving nothing but smouldering embers. This display of magic put both his father and his grandparents on edge as all three were now looking at him in fear. Even though Ron knew Tom could not see him, both he and Hermione had backed away from the wizard, the murderous expression on the sorcerer's face was horrifying to look at.

"You killed my mother and you think you're going to go to prison?" Tom spoke in a cold and calculating manner as he advanced slowly on the trio. Ron could see that all three were now trying hard to move away yet neither of them could move an inch as they cowered under Tom's violent gaze.

"You filthy, _disgusting, _pieces of vermin." Tom spat as he glared daggers at them. "You're nothing but pathetic, worthless bits of Mudblood scum. You dare speak of purity as if your child, my father, was somehow better than my foolish mother? My mother came from a long line of Pureblood wizards who descended directly from none other than SALAZAR SLYTHERIN HIMSELF!" Tom roared as fury radiated from all around him. "Your son not even worthy enough to _exist_ in our presence, let alone mix his disgusting blood with any of us! Do you even know my name?" Tom cried with a mirthless as he smirked wickedly at Jacob. "She called me Tom after my father. Can you even begin to imagine how humiliating it is for me to be associated with the likes of people like you?"

"She called you Tom?" Tom's father spoke with melancholy.

"An embarrassing, unfortunate mistake on her part, one in the series of a long line of mistakes. My mother may have been a pathetic imbecile but at least she was better than any of you. She should have killed you both when she had the chance! But no matter, I can rectify that now."

Tom raised his wand towards Jacob as Laura shrieked. "You won't get away with this!" Tom gave her an incredulous stare before letting out another laugh.

"I'm not as stupid as you, you Mudblood bitch!" Tom said as Laura screamed for help. "Go on then, scream, yell, cry, beg for your pathetic life but there is nothing you can do! No one knows I'm here and I've been planning how to do this for a very, long time."

"Killing is not as easy as it seems," Jacob replied as he put up a brave front though it was obvious that the courage summoned was nothing but a ruse. Tom gave Jacob an indignant stare before a smile broke out on his face.

"Then I guess it's fortunate for me that I've done this before. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A flash of green light burst forth from Morfin's wand as Laura dropped to the floor, silenced forever with a look of horror on her face.

"NOOOOO!" Both Tom's father and grandfather yelled in vain.

Tom's father looked at his son.

"Tom, you don't have to do this!" he begged. "Please stop this now, you can still do the right thing!"

"Oh but I am!" Tom exclaimed as evil shone through his eyes. "Do you know what I've been doing,_ Father_?! I've been studying up on my magic, practising my spells and getting more and more powerful with each day that passes. I will expand my already growing group of followers and when the time is right, I will declare war on the Muggles that would put even the one that's happening now to shame. Once I've conquered the Muggle world, I would rule over all of you, making every Muggle man, woman and child toil for me and my kin until the end of time. And the best part is I will make sure that every one of those Muggle will know which family is responsible for all their suffering. The Riddle legacy will be forever tarnished with misery and pain. Your family's name will be dragged through the mud till the mere mention of it is no better than dragon's dung."

Though Tom's father clearly had no idea what some of the terms meant, the message was loud and clear. "Please, Tom. Give us a chance to repent, a chance to redeem ourselves."

"No, you won't," Jacob spoke, the shock of seeing his dead wife on the floor was now replaced by a look of anger. "Despite all your mighty words, you're just as vulnerable as us…Muggles. Your mother was killed by poison. Do you really think the other Muggles will allow themselves to be walked over and ruled by someone like you? We have endured thousands of years being slaves to people who wanted to rule over us and we have always prevailed! We have weapons that you wouldn't even believe, weapons that can destroy the lot of you in a blink of an eye. Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but someday, someone will come along and kill you. To end what I started, what I could not finish."

For the first time, Tom looked slightly unsettled as the wand trembled in his hand. This reaction did not go unnoticed as a small grin broke out on Jacob's face.

"Scares you, doesn't it?" Jacob goaded. "All that magic. All that power and still not even you can prevent death from coming. Just like your pathetic mother, with all her strength, dying all alone with no one to remember her. All your talk and you're just like your mother. I suppose that will probably be your fate, _Tom_! A pathetic death for a worthless piece of shite!"

The movement was so fast that it took Ron by surprise as the green flash of light flashed out of the wand and landing squarely between the eyes of Jacob, causing the last expression on the Muggle's face to be one of shock and terror. Tom Senior let out a yell as he stared at his parents' bodies, lying motionless on the floor. Gathering about his wits, he turned his attention to his son who was now pointing the wand directly at him.

"Wait, please, listen to me. Please just listen…" Tom Senior begged as he stared at his son. Tears were now starting to stream down his face as the older Tom began to tremble.

"Tom, what my parents did was unforgivable. But I had nothing to do with it, I didn't know! All my life, all I ever wanted to be was a father. I have prayed so many times to the good Lord to grant me one and finally, you've returned to my life. Whatever happened today, I promise you, I will always protect you as your mother did. We can say that my parents, your grandparents, died from a brain aneurysm and since they're both old, it will be believable…"

"Save your begging. There is no changing what I've done." Tom whispered back harshly as his father shook his head.

"You're right. We can't change the past but we can change what happens from here on now. You must have had a hard life, Tom, I can't even begin to imagine how hard life must have been for you. If I could give anything to have all those years back, even those with your mother, I would do so in a heartbeat. I'm sorry for what has happened to you, I truly am. Let me help you, Tom. Let me help you in any way I can. Whatever it is you are, you called yourself a wizard, did you not? Let me be in your life and I promise you I will devote everything to learning more about you, to raising you, to loving you with all my heart. I know you might not believe me but it is the truth! You're my son, Tom. You're my son! I will do anything for you."

"Anything?" Tom repeated as a blank expression crossed his face.

"Anything." his father replied firmly as he gave his son a loving look. "It is not only responsibility to care for you, it would be my honour to do so. I was a foolish child when I was younger but not now. I've changed for the better. I've been giving my wealth to help those in need, volunteering my services to the village and the church. I've even been involved in many charities. I no longer have any selfish desires or needs, just the one to care for my son. Whatever happens, we can work it out. You're a good person, Tom. You're a good person."

"And how would you know that? You don't even know who I am?" Tom replied as his father smiled at him.

"I know because you are your mother's son. You're my son. Give me a chance, Tom. Give me a chance to give you the love and family you deserve."

For a brief, fleeting moment, Tom Riddle Junior looked as though he was considering it. His arm was no longer outstretched, instead, it laid by his side as he appeared to be contemplating his father's words. Tom's father noticed this as well as he stood up straight, his arms extended as if to welcome his son into a loving embrace. Tom took a few steps forward as he stood inches away from his father's arms.

"Are you asking me to forgive you? To forgive what your parents did to my mother?"

Tom Senior shook his head as he gave his son a sympathetic look. "No. Not yet. Give me a chance to prove myself to you and perhaps one day, maybe years from now, I would have done enough to earn your forgiveness."

"What makes you think I'm capable of that?" Tom said quietly as for the tiniest moment, Tom looked less like a Dark Lord and more like a fragile teenager, unsure of what to choose.

"Because you are your mother's son. You are my son! Let us be a family, Tom. Let me be your father." Tom Senior spoke as Tom looked up at him. Suddenly, the mask of vulnerability dropped from his countenance as in its place, Tom smiled from ear to ear, his face contorted into that of a psychopath.

"My mother…" Tom spoke dangerously as he leaned in towards his father. "Was a stupid whore who should have killed you and your putrid family years ago. I don't need her, I don't need you, I don't need _anyone!_" Tom snarled.

"Tom please!" Tom's father begged but it was too late. A flash of green light came and just as his parents did, soon fell the last of Riddles on the floor with nothing more than a frightened expression on his face.

"My name…is Lord Voldemort." Tom said coldly as he turned on his heels, strolling towards the door of the drawing-room as all around, the windows and doors fell open once more and fire returned back to the fireplace. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look with each other as Ron took one final look at the dead Riddle family before taking off to follow Tom.

…..

His mind was racing a mile a minute as Ron found it difficult to focus his thoughts. He had seen the way Merope Gaunt had been abused by her father and brother but did that justify her tricking Tom Riddle Senior into falling in love with her and having a child? On one hand, Laura hadn't been far off with her judgement on Merope yet, on the other hand, Merope did sacrifice her life for her son. Was she a good person?

And what about Tom? The circumstances surrounding Tom had felt awfully familiar to him. A wizard whose mother had loved him dearly and who was killed by a Muggle, a grandfather no less. Was Thomas Granger just like Jacob Riddle? These questions swirled about in his head as Ron took a look towards Hermione who looked to be equally disturbed. Tom's memory had interrupted their fight and for some reason, Ron no longer felt as angry towards her as he did. Instead, a new emotion crept up into him, one in which he recognised very well.

Guilt. Ron had called Hermione a Mudblood again, something he had promised never to do and yet there he was, spouting the same term that Tom used countless times. Ron cringed slightly as to how similar both he and Tom were. Both orphans, both had a bad temper and both found it difficult to let go of the past. Not to mention, just like Tom, Ron could also not –

"He was here?!" Hermione gasp as her voice dragged Ron away from his thoughts. At first, Ron thought that they were still in the Riddle House, given that they were in a long hallway yet the décor was vastly different. Gas lamped lit the corridor with a large chandelier hanging over it. There were ornate portraits on the walls yet none of the pictures were of the Riddle family. Much of the décor in the hallway seemed to have been made of serpents while Ron caught sight of an umbrella stand made from the severed leg of a troll. Ron caught sight of a grand staircase at the end of the hall where to his surprise, he could see plaques mounted on its wall decorated with shrunken house-elf heads. Tom was walking down the hallway, his back facing them before turning into the dining room.

"Grimmauld Place," Hermione spoke as she averted her gaze from the elf heads. "This is the Black Family Home." Ron knew where the Blacks stayed and had seen pictures of the exterior of the house though he had never stepped inside.

The dining room of 12 Grimmauld Place was large though its wallpaper looked rather grim with more images of serpents surrounding the room. The room contained a large wooden table with chairs as well as hanging light fixtures though the white glow of the lights was fading, giving the room an eerie feel to it. Ron's eye also spied an enormous dresser that held the Black family crest as well as china being placed on top of it. Yet all his attention was drawn towards the table where Ron could see several familiar faces seated all on the seats save for one, the empty chair had been placed at the head of the table. Dolohov, Lestrange, Avery, Rosier, Walburga Black as well as a few unfamiliar others were present as Tom took his place at the head of the table.

"You think Dumbledore is going to step in?" Dolohov spoke as he passed a copy of the Daily Prophet to Lestrange. On its front page were the words **GRINDELWALD'S ATTACKS CONTINUE: WHERE IS ALBUS DUMBLEDORE?**

"I pray he continues to take his time." Avery scoffed. "Grindelwald is doing what's right. Let's hope these attacks continue to take as many Mudbloods and Muggles as they possibly can."

"You think Dumbledore can stop him?" Rosier asked out loud as Lestrange scowled.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Dumbledore is the only one capable of stopping Grindelwald. I'm not too sure if he would."

"My Lord." Walburga Black spoke for the first time, addressing Tom who sat quietly in his seat, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. "Do you plan to reopen the Chamber?"

"Are you crazy?" Lestrange snapped as Walburga scowled back at him. "That fool Hagrid has already been identified. Re-opening the Chamber would result in re-opening the case."

"Pity," Dolohov exclaimed with a sigh. "I did look forward to more Mudbloods dying. "This comment brought about murmurs of approval as Dolohov looked rather pleased with himself.

"Don't worry my fellow Slytherins, I promise that one day, when I've become Head of Magical Law Enforcement, I will create a secret task force that will hunt down every single Mudblood in the country."

"Oh please!" Walburga scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "You? Head of the MLE? I've heard better bedtime stories that are more likely to come true."

"As compared to you?" Dolohov retorted as Walburga smirked at him smugly. "Tell me, Black, what makes you more qualified than me?"

"Well, for a start, you're not a Pureblood, are you? I've come from a long- line of Blacks, one of the most ancient and powerful Pureblood families."

"Please." Dolohov scoffed. "You're nothing more than an inbred daughter still harping on the past. Tell me when was the last time a Black had a Ministry position?"

Before Walburga could retort, Lestrange spoke once again. "While you two fools are fighting about such a lowly position, I fully intend to take over the Minister's office. Someone with much more control over Ministry policies. It's not like they can refuse me, I am a Lestrange and my family's reputation will ensure that future for me."

"Hey, Lucien, if you're taking over the Minister's office, can you get me a job as well?" Avery laughed as Lestrange rolled his eyes. The table soon descended into chatter as around Tom as all of his friends soon started discussing and insulting each other. Ron and Hermione watched as Tom, who had been deep in thought, suddenly looked slightly irritated. His dark eyes flashed open as Tom gave a low growl. Instantly, the entire table fell silent as everyone turned to look at Tom.

"Worthless," Tom whispered as he reached for the Daily Prophet before throwing it against the wall. "All of you are completely WORTHLESS!" Tom yelled, his thunderous voice causing a few of the Slytherins to jump from their seats. Tom now started to make a strange, hissing noise to which Ron finally recognised as Parseltongue as he stared at the serpent images in the room. Though his words were undecipherable, not a single Slytherin spoke up as they all bowed their heads with a shameful look on all their faces.

"Since the time of Salazar Slytherin, we have been plagued by the Mudblood disease," Tom said, finally reverting back to English. "Mudbloods have roamed freely in Hogwarts and in our streets for generations! In all that time, not a single Minister or any of his lackeys have done anything to change that! Why, you may ask? Because every single one of them is afraid! You all talk so big with all your promises just like all of them did and what has changed in all that time? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Tom stood to his feet as he pinched his nose in an attempt to calm himself. Ron could see a few of the Slytherins shifting about uncomfortably in their seats.

"You want to know what I've learnt in the summer?" Tom spoke again, this time with a much softer voice. "I've learnt that in order to change things, one needs to be brave enough to make sacrifices. I've learnt that in order to deal with the Muggle issue, one needs to be strong! Grindelwald will fall, mark my words. Dumbledore will either stop him or more than likely, kill him. Because at the end of the day, no matter how powerful you are, we are all vulnerable to Death."

Tom now started to pace around the table, shooting glares at anyone who dared to look into his eyes.

"Do you know why the Ministry has never been bold enough to make changes to Hogwarts? Or why the Statue of Secrecy still stands? Because, my dear friends, not a single one of them dared to go against the great Dumbledore himself! Throughout history, there have always been men like Dumbledore, powerful yet champions of Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers everywhere. And as long as there are men like Dumbledore pulling the strings of the Ministry, our situation will never change."

Tom had now circled the table and was now sitting back in his chair. "My friends, if we are to change the world, then we need to make sacrifices. Your so-called futures will be a small price to pay for the future for our kind. I have a solution and it is one that I believe will lead us down the right path."

"What is your solution, my Lord?" Lestrange spoke as all around the table, the Slytherins had leaned forward to listen, their faces eager to receive guidance. Tom beamed at his group as he studied every one of their faces.

"First, we need to deal with the problem at hand. Forget the Muggles and the Mudbloods, forget the blasted Ministry! There is only one person we have to deal with, one person who we need to worry about."

"Dumbledore…" Avery whispered as he glanced at the newspaper. Tom nodded his head.

"Exactly!" Tom's eyes glinted as he gave a thin smile. "For my plan to succeed, I must first grow in strength. I will journey to the darkest parts of Europe, learning all the secrets of the Dark Arts and become the most powerful sorcerer to have ever walked the earth. More powerful than Grindelwald or Dumbledore, more powerful than even the great Merlin himself!"

His speech was met with a loud chorus of cheers as all the Slytherins began to bang their fists onto the table in approval.

"It may take years but I will get there and when I do, I will need an army to lead. I will need loyal followers to do as I say. I will need soldiers to help fight in the war to save our kind. I will need generals, I will need servants, I will need more than just a generation of wizards to continue our fight against the wretched beings that seek to undermine and pollute our magic! I will need all of you to help me! Will you help me?!"

A cacophony of cheers broke out amongst the Slytherins as all of them voiced their approval. Every single one of them was willing to join Tom's cause with even some, like Lestrange and Black, began shedding small tears.

"Whatever you need, my Lord!" Lestrange spoke as he gently kissed the ring on Tom's hand. "I will dedicate every single thing I have towards your cause. Should I have children, they will follow you and so will their children and their children afterwards."

"Same here, my Lord," Avery added as Walburga nodded her head as well. _This was where it started. The first group of Death Eaters _ Ron thought as he shuddered.

"My Lord, tell us what we need to do," Rosier said as Tom raised his hand. Immediately, the entire Slytherin group became silent. Tom gave Rosier a thin smile before taking a deep breath.

"I recently came face to face with a Muggle," Tom spoke as his friends listened intently though some of them recoiled at the thought. "And though he was scum, he did say something that has stuck with me for days. Magic, my friends, magic has done so much for all of us. Magic has allowed us to travel to places instantaneously, it has allowed us to change objects, to create something out of nothing and even allowed us to visit the heavens above. But there is one barrier in which magic has yet to conquer. The final barrier and it is this that the filth brought to my attention."

Tom's face grew serious as his dark eyes stared directly in front of him.

"I intend to conquer death," Tom spoke darkly, his words causing his friends to exchange looks among them. "The last great barrier of magic. I intend to do something that not even the great Dumbledore can do. When I go out into the world, everyone from the Muggles to the wizards to even the elves will cower underneath my power as I live out the rest of my days until the end of time. Not even Death will stop me from becoming the sorcerer I intend to be."

"My Lord…" Lestrange spoke with awe as his face shone with admiration for the handsome wizard.

"I've already taken some steps. Walburga," Tom said as he turned to the witch. "Tell your brother Alphard that I intend to visit Hogwarts tomorrow. As an assistant to the librarian, he can grant me access, can he not?"

"Of course," Walburga replied. "It shall be done."

"Good," Tom said as he started to give out orders to each of his fellow Slytherins. As Ron watched the scene unfold, he turned to look at Hermione who was no longer in the room. Exiting the dining room, Ron found the bushy-haired witch sitting on the floor in the hallway with a gloomy look on her face.

Ron hesitated for a moment before taking a seat next to the witch. His anger from their fight was now fully gone as Ron stared ahead though, from the corner of his left eye, he could see Hermione averting her gaze from him as the tension still laid between them. Before he could speak, however, Hermione broke the silence.

"I didn't want to stay in the room anymore," Hermione said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I understand," Ron replied. "It's just all Pureblood garbage anyways." His words reminded him of what he needed to do. Turning to face her though the witch still looked away from him, Ron swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"I'm sorry I called you a Mudblood. I shouldn't have said that." Ron whispered as Hermione turned her head slowly to face him.

"It's okay. You were angry."

"No, it's not." Ron sighed as it was his turn to look away. Hermione placed her hand on his, her face now looking more despondent than ever.

"Ron…I…"

"It's okay, Hermione," Ron replied as he allowed the words to flow from his lips. "I don't know why I was angry with you. It's not your fault what happened to my parents. You didn't know either and it wasn't fair for me to take out my anger on you. All my life, I've always had this bad temper that I can never control. And it always brings out the worst in me. Like with Ginny. Like with you."

"It's not your fault, Ron," Hermione whispered back. "Your life hasn't been easy and you've been carrying quite the emotional baggage, it's only natural that it all comes out."

"Yeah…still…" Ron said as he ran his fingers through his crimson hair. "After seeing what happened with the Riddles and now this, I can honestly say that I'm not as angry as I was before. I don't know why either. Maybe it's because…in many ways, Tom and I are exactly alike."

"What?!" Hermione looked stunned as she turned her entire body towards Ron. "How can you even think that?!"

"How can I not?" Ron replied as he pulled his hand away. "Look at our stories and how similar they both are. We're both orphans from Pureblood families. We both lost our mothers who were killed by Muggles. We both had to live with other people and we both grew up surrounded by Purebloods."

"You're not evil, Ron!" Hermione cried indignantly. "You're nowhere as evil as Tom is. He's a murderer, did you forget that? Remember Myrtle? His own father?"

"Hermione…" Ron heaved as he bit his lip. There was no use in denying it any longer. "If I had given the chance all the years ago, I would have killed your grandfather for what he did. Of course, I didn't nor that I could but if he was still alive, I can't say for sure that I won't at least try. How's that for being similar? Tom and I ruled by revenger. Let's face it, Hermione. I'm just as bad as Tom."

Hermione said nothing as she gaped at Ron for the longest time before suddenly hitting him hard in the arm.

"Oww!" Ron cried out loud as Hermione continued hitting him.

"You-complete-arse, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled as Ron flinched under her tone. "You are the most insufferable person that I have ever met. Listen to me and listen to me good! You, _Ron_, are an idiot, a prat, a git, a bigot, a bloody wanker –

"Hermione!"

"- but you are nor will you ever be a monster like Tom! Tell me when Hannah Abbott lost her parents, what did you do?" Hermione demanded as she glared at Ron.

"I…er…tried to turn back time to save them. But it didn't wor-"

"So?!" Hermione cried. "You tried, didn't you? Over and over again to save a Muggleborn's family, someone you've never talked to. And you got into that big fight with Blaise Zabini over it. Tell me, would Tom have done that if he had your powers."

"No, but-"

"Shut up!" Hermione exclaimed as Ron fell silent. "And what about what you're doing now? Who is it all for? Ginny and Malfoy, isn't it? Remind me again who spent their life keeping the truth about their parents' deaths from Ginny to spare her the pain? Who spent their life watching over their sister because he loves her more than anything in this world? Tell me, do you think Tom is capable of that?"

"Well, technically, Tom doesn't have siblings so-"

"All the more reason that you're different, isn't it?!" Hermione interjecting, cutting Ron off. "And who is currently here with me now, another Muggleborn, sacrificing everything to save the world from the same madman who he thinks is exactly like him? Just because you have a few flaws and made some mistakes doesn't mean you're as evil as he is. You may have some similarities in your origin story but here you are, choosing a different path than the one Tom intends to take. Here you are, apologising to the granddaughter of your parents' killer because you realised you made a mistake taking your anger out on me. Do you think Tom would ever do that? Do you? DO YOU?!"

All of a sudden, Hermione broke down in tears as her body started to shake. Temporarily shocked, Ron reached out and pulled her into a hug, holding her as tightly as he could.

"He killed your parents…Ron…God, I'm so sorry…your father…your poor mother!" Hermione sobbed into his chest as Ron pulled her tighter. He could feel his own tears trailing down his cheeks as Ron buried his face on top of Hermione's bushy brown hair.

"Hermione, it's okay," Ron whispered. "It's okay."

"No, it's not, Ron." Hermione croaked as she lifted her head, her teary eyes now staring back at him. "I don't blame if you hate me. I really don't. And even if it pains me to admit it, I can understand why you thought about doing _that_ to my grandfather. I saw what he did, Ron and I can't even imagine just how painful it must be for you." As Ron stared back into the witch's eyes, he could see just how fragile Hermione had become. _It must have been weighing hard on her too. Bloody hell, Ron, you are a prat!_ Ron thought as he gently wiped away her tears.

"I don't hate you, Hermione Granger." Ron muttered softly as Hermione started to take long, deep breaths. He could feel it all ebbing away slowly, his anger, his frustration, his pain. As the pair sat in silence, Ron pondered about everything that had happened to him this year and all the timelines he had to experience.

"What happened has happened and we can't change that," Ron said as he gave a dry laugh. "If there's one thing I've learnt from time travel is that we can't change the past. All we can really do is try our best to move on."

Hermione stared at Ron, her hazel eyes gazing back into his blue ones. Something was endearing about the way Hermione stared at him, the way her eyes searched deep into his. For some reason, Ron felt a warm feeling rising in his chest as he stared back at the witch. Eventually, Hermione pulled herself away from their trance about the same time as he did though Ron felt rather reluctant to do so.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered as she rubbed her wet cheeks. "I don't hate you either." The pair sat quietly in the hallway, both not wanting to look at the other as an awkward form of tension settled between them.

"So…" Ron said loudly, not wanting the tension to grow. "We still need to find a way out of here. Got any ideas?"

"Honestly, I'm drawing a blank right now." Hermione sigh as Ron gave her a mock incredulous look.

"Hermione Granger, not sure of what to do?! The world must be falling apart!" Ron said as Hermione rolled her eyes though a smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh, like you have something?"

"Hey, I'm just the lazy Slytherin remember. You're the Gryffindor bookworm." Ron replied as Hermione giggled. Ron felt his ears turn pink.

"The Slytherin and the Gryffindor. Sounds like the title of a book." Hermione exclaimed as she smiled at Ron. _She does have a nice smile_ Ron thought for a moment as he felt relief at being at peace with Hermione.

"You know…the Hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor." Ron said, much to the surprise of Hermione whose eyes widened upon hearing his words. "But I couldn't abandon Draco, much less disappoint Aunt Narcissa. So I chose Slytherin."

"The Hat wanted to put you inside Gryffindor?!" Hermione repeated, the surprise still evident on her face.

"Yeah, said that I have courage," Ron replied as the thought grew in his mind. _Courage? Was that the key?_ Despite the thought growing in his mind, Ron was doubtful. Tom had yet to display anything close to resembling courage and yet Ron couldn't shake it from his mind. The Hat _did_ want to put him in Gryffindor, something Ron was sure Tom himself was not. _Perhaps that's where I draw my strength_ Ron thought as a determined look came across his face.

"Hermione, I think it's time I faced him," Ron said as Hermione stared at him with surprise before shaking her head fervently.

"No, Ron, we're not ready. We don't even know what the key is."

"The key is courage, Hermione," Ron said as Hermione cast the same doubtful look. "And anyways, what else can we do? We can't just keep running into every new memory. Sooner or later Tom is going to find us and I'm getting more tired by the second."

"Ron, I don't think –"

"I have to do this, Hermione," Ron said as he helped Hermione to her feet. "I have to face him. It's time."

"Well then, I guess we're both in agreement there."

Ron and Hermione turned their faces down the hallway where a smirking Tom stood, his eyes now a bright red.

"Shall we?" Tom said as he snapped his fingers.

….

Almost instantly, the scene before them changed as Ron found himself back at King's Cross station. They were now on a platform where a train, looking eerily similar to the Hogwarts' Express stood before them. Tom was standing only a few feet away, his face looking bored as a terrified Hermione stood next to Ron, having already reached for her wand.

"Do you really think you can duel with me, Mudblood?" Tom said as he glanced at the wand in Hermione's trembling hand. "Go on then. Give me your best shot." Hermione exchanged a quick look with Ron before raising her wand, pointing it directly at Tom. "Stupefy!" Hermione cried loudly as Ron watched, expecting the red stream of light to burst from her wand.

But nothing came out. Hermione looked shocked for a moment before yelling out a series of hexes and curses with Ron following her lead. Yet nothing came out from their wands. Effectively, it was as good as pointing a stick at Lord Voldemort. Tom burst out laughing.

"You fools. Do you really think your wands can work against me? Your magic is useless here! On the other hand, I can very much hurt you. " Tom said menacingly as he snapped his fingers. All of a sudden, Hermione let out a bloodcurdling shriek as she dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.

"This is what a Cruciatus Curse feels like." Tom laughed as Ron dropped beside Hermione, trying his best to help her. "STOP IT!" Ron roared as he launched himself at Tom, only for the wizard to sidestep his attack and shove him towards the train. Ron felt himself hit the hard wall of the train before collapsing to the ground with a stinging pain on his head.

"Pain is all in the mind, Ron and since I have both of you under my control, it can easy to administer it." Tom drawled as Ron staggered back to his feet. "How did you like my memories? Did you enjoy a trip down my memory lane? I don't care that you saw those memories, Ron. If anything, I would have shown you them myself. You must be fascinated to see how an unwanted orphan like me went on to become the greatest sorcerer of all time."

"All I saw was a mental, sadistic killer." Ron retorted as he turned his attention to Hermione whose pain seemed to have subsided as she gasped for breath. Ron slowly edged his way back to Hermione while keeping an eye on Tom who seemed amused by his actions.

"Did you see the memory in which I made by Horcruxes?" Tom said as Ron placed an arm over Hermione. "As you already know, killing is what creates Horcruxes but when I tried to split my soul for the first time, I kept failing. I thought perhaps it was because my kills were months before I even tried to make Horcruxes but that wasn't the case. It was because I didn't allow myself to feel them, to really savour those kills. Myrtle, she was my first and you know what they say about that whereas my father, well, he was probably my most personal kill."

The way Tom's eyes lit up as he said those words brought a chill down Ron's spine. Here was someone who not only became a murderer before becoming an adult but one who took pride in them.

"I created the diary, and then the ring." Tom continued before shaking his head. "As for this one, well, this one, I'm afraid I had to make do with some lowly Albanian peasant when I left for my travels after graduating from Hogwarts. Not as eventful as the other two but then again, I was already getting better."

"They were innocent people!" Ron snapped as the smile disappeared from Tom's face.

"Innocent? You mean like my grandparents were innocent? Like her grandfather was innocent?" Tom snarled as he took a step forward, pointing his finger at Hermione. "Do I have to beat you over with a stick for you to understand? Muggles are all evil, Ron. They're all killers just like me. At least I'm doing it for a cause."

"You mean you're doing this for yourself!" Ron snapped back as Hermione gave a soft moan. "Everything you've done, you only did it for yourself, just to justify your ego. You're not a saviour, you're not a revolutionist, you're a coward. You reject your father's love even though he was innocent. You blamed Myrtle's death on Hagrid without even giving her a single thought. You may have had a hard life, Tom but that doesn't give you the excuse to become who you are. And here you are, telling me how wonderful it is to make Horcruxes when I know the truth. I know what truly scares you so much. You're afraid to die."

"Not anymore," Tom growled. "Now, I can't die! Now I am the Boy Who Lived…Forever."

"Well, you're right about that," Ron replied. "You know, when I was growing up, I've heard so many stories about you. I feared you, even respected you for all your achievements. Just like Draco and the Malfoys, I believed in pureblood supremacy just like you did. Draco and I even fantasied about how it is to be the Dark Lord-"

Hermione gave Ron an incredulous look.

"-and to see who you really are, well, let's just say it's a complete let-down. You're just a boy, nothing but a scared orphan boy who lets his temper get the better of him. And you're weak as well."

"Weak? WEAK?!" Tom cried as Hermione mouthed silently to Ron. _What in the world are you doing?_ Ron gave her a wink before staring back defiantly at Tom.

"Yes, you heard me. Dumbledore once said we have to choose between what's right and what's easy and you Tom, you've always taken the weaker way out. When confronted with your mother's murderers, you killed them instead of seeking justice. When you accidentally killed Myrtle, you decided to run instead of owning up to what you've done. When your father gave you a chance to be happy, you decided to kill him instead because you gave in to your anger and hatred as you always have. That's what rules you. Anger and Hatred. It's why you're weak."

"Those words describe you as well, Weasley." Tom snapped as he raised his hand into the air. Ron mirrored his actions while smirking back at the young Dark Lord.

"It used to. But not anymore. I had the courage to face up to my mistakes. You, on the other hand, do not. You're in my head, Tom. It's time you left." And with that, Ron snapped his fingers as Tom's eyes started to widen.

….

SNAP!

SNAP!

SNAP!

"What the hell?" Ron said as he stared at his hand while Tom cocked an eyebrow at him. Ron continued to snap his fingers while growling in frustration.

"Oh, Bloody Hell!" Ron cursed out as Hermione gave him a dubious look.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione asked as she kept a wary eye on Tom who now looked amused by Ron's actions.

"I thought it would work. I took a shot."

"What shot?"

"My plan was to use my courage against him. Did you not hear me calling him out for being weak while accepting that I had courage?"

"That was your plan?!" Hermione exclaimed as she stared at Ron with disbelief.

"Oh, like you were of help!" Ron snapped.

"I was being tortured!"

"So was I!"

"You hit your head on the train because you were too stupid to see where you were going!"

"Well excuse me for wanting to try something!" Ron snapped as they both looked towards Tom who was now chuckling while shaking his head.

"Congrats, Ron, you just succeeded in pissing him off!"

"Oh just keep quiet, Hermione!"

"That was your plan?!" Tom laughed hysterically as he clutched his sides. "That your power came from your courage?!"

"It was worth a shot," Ron said defensively as Tom ceased his laughter.

"It was pathetic. Courage, hah! What a worthless quality to have." Tom said as he smiled insidiously at the pair. "Who needs courage when you have nothing to fear? One of the perks of being me, Ron, is that there is no one more powerful or scarier than me. Let me show you." Tom exclaimed as he snapped his fingers.

Hermione fell to her feet, screaming in pain as she clutched her head tightly in her hands. "Make it stop!" Hermione screamed wildly as the pain inside her voice echoed in the background all around Ron.

"HERMIONE!" Ron cried as he dropped to her feet. "STOP IT, TOM. STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

This time, however, Ron found himself unable to move as Tom took a step forward, his outstretched hand now closed into a fist. Hermione began to shake wildly as she screamed, her eyes now shut tightly as her face contorted into pain.

"Hermione! Hermione!" Ron cried in vain as he tried to reach for her. "Tom, please make it stop. Please. I'll do anything, just make the pain stop!" Ron begged as Tom shook his head. All of a sudden, Hermione stopped screaming. Ron turned to see the witch gaping at him with her mouth wide open as her eyes were now white, having rolled to the back of her head.

"Noooo!" Ron screamed as he looked at Hermione in horror. "You've killed her!"

"No, I merely broke her," Tom said coldly, his voice laced with spite. "Her mind now belongs to me, as does Dumbledore. I'm afraid you are now truly all alone." Tom said as he snapped his fingers and Hermione disappeared into thin air.

"Wait, where is she? BRING HER BACK!" Ron demanded as Tom shook his head.

"No." Tom spat as he glared daggers at Ron. "I tried to be nice. I tried to make you see things my way but it seems that the old man was right. You're nothing but an insolent and disrespectful little git and I don't need your _permission_ anymore. Instead, I'm just going to hurt you."

Tom snapped his fingers once more as a blinding, unimaginable pain hit Ron throughout his body. Ron screamed out loud as his face turned to anguish. The sensation that hit felt like a thousand searing knives being pierced into his skin from all around him as Ron continued to scream, his body now able to move as he shook wildly on the ground.

"Do you feel that?_ Good!" _Tom spoke in a menacing voice as he towered above Ron who was lying and shaking on the ground. "You must be tired, Ronald. Why don't you just give in, give in to the pain and go to sleep?"

Despite his body screaming at him to give in, Tom's words provoked a series of thoughts in his head. Ron thought about Ginny and Draco who will no doubt be killed by Tom. Ron thought about Dumbledore and how the wizard had sacrificed himself to save him. Ron thought about Aunt Narcissa, Tracey and all of his friends and schoolmates and how they would all live in a world ruled by a psychopath. Ron thought about Hermione and about the horrors she and her kind would face if Tom had Ron's power in his hands.

"Never…" Ron croaked as he tried to fight the pain, though it was a losing battle. Reaching deep inside him, Ron refused to give in, using the pain to fuel his adrenaline to stay awake, to stay conscious.

"Impressive," Tom said sarcastically as he snapped his fingers once more. The pain was now excruciating, causing Ron to spit excessively as his blood felt as if it was literally being boiled. Yet despite him thrashing on the floor, Ron refused to give in, willing himself to stay awake.

"Fuck you, Tom!" Ron cursed out loud as he shot a defiant glare at his torturer. "I will never give in to you!"

"So you think you're stronger than me? You? A lowly wizard against the might of Lord Voldemort himself!" Tom roared, his anger clearly getting the better of him. "FINE! If I can't break you by hurting your body, maybe I break you by destroying your mind. I believe you called me a coward for when I faced my mother's murderer? Let's see if you fare any better."

Tom snapped his fingers once more as a blinding light hit Ron before giving away to darkness.

…..

Though he could not see anything but black, Ron knew he was still awake. His eyes were wide open and thankfully, the pain was now gone. All of a sudden, the darkness gave way to light as the scene around him started to change.

Ron found himself staring at a pink wall which looked pretty bare except for a painting of a seaside town hanging on a nail. Next to it was a white, oak wardrobe which had two oak tree shapes crafted onto its doors. Light filtered in through a window next to him as Ron stared at the woollen rug placed next to him at the foot of the wardrobe.

A soft cry caused Ron to jump around, his eyes widening in shock at the sight before him. Behind Ron stood a tiny bed with orange covers and a study desk with a bookshelf fixed from above it. Next to the bed was a pile of stuffed toys, many of which were plush animals. Yet it was the person asleep in the bed that Ron had turned his attention to.

"Hermione," Ron whispered as he recognised the sleeping toddler version of the witch who looked sound asleep, save for a few soft cries coming out from her lips as she jostled in her bed. _She must be having a nightmare_ Ron thought as he looked tenderly at Hermione whose eyelids began to flutter. With a yawn, Hermione opened her eyes as she looked about the room.

"Grandpa?" Hermione said as she looked slightly frightened. Lifting herself awkwardly out of bed, Hermione reached for a plush toy in the shape of an otter before walking slowly towards her front door. Ron smiled at the sight of young Hermione holding tightly to her otter before making her way towards the door, stopping herself as she stared at the doorknob which was too high for her to reach.

"I wish I could get that for you, Hermione." Ron sighed as Hermione made small, futile attempts to reach for the doorknob. Her face now looked even more frightened than it did before as Hermione stopped jumping, her eyes now darting to everything in the room. Suddenly, the doorknob began to turn slowly as the door creaked itself open, to reveal no one standing on the other side.

"Nice use of magic there," Ron exclaimed as Hermione looked bewildered for a moment before peering down the hallway. It was dark with only a fluorescent light hanging above being the only source of illumination. Hermione appeared to consider her actions before slowly making her way into the corridor.

"Grandpa?" Hermione called out down the darkened hallway. Suddenly, Ron heard footsteps coming from somewhere downstairs as from the darkness emerged a very familiar face. "Hermione, what are you doing?" Thomas Granger said as he scooped little Hermione into his hands.

Face to face with his parent's murderer, Ron could see that Thomas looked a shell of the man he once was. His messy hair now had several strands of wispy grey as his beard looked dirty and unkempt. His eyes looked red from crying as Ron saw them through his large horn-rimmed spectacles. Even his large frame and broad arms couldn't hide the fact that Thomas looked defeated as evident from his slouched posture.

"Couldn't sleep," Hermione said as Thomas gave his granddaughter a weak smile. "Come, let's get you to bed," Thomas said as he entered Hermione's room while giving the door a passing glance. "How did you open the door?"

"Dunno," Hermione said with a shrug as Tom gave a light chuckle before tucking Hermione into bed. He gently brushed her hair with his fingers before sitting himself on the bed next to Hermione. Ron could see that Thomas looked close to tears though he put on a brave front for Hermione.

"Grandpa?" Hermione spoke as she pointed at his face. "Sad?"

Thomas Granger gave Hermione a smile as he rubbed his eyes. "No, Hermione, Grandpa is just tired. Grandpa has had a very long week."

"Oh." Hermione spoke. "Work?"

"Yes, my angel. Work" Thomas Granger sighed. "Grandpa is tired of work. So very tired." Instinctively, Hermione opened her arms and gave Thomas Granger a tiny hug.

"Feel better," Hermione said as Thomas returned the hug while kissing his granddaughter on the forehead. This time, Ron could see a few tears escaping his eyes.

"Thank you, my precious otter," Thomas said as he pulled away while beaming at Hermione. "Would you like me to read you a story?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but only a soft yawn escaped her lips. Thomas chuckled as he shook his head.

"Perhaps some other time then," Thomas said as Hermione shook her head though her eyes seemed to be drooping heavily.

"Tell me a story, Grandpa. I'm listening." Hermione said as she shifted herself closer towards Thomas who heaved a sigh. "Very well."

"Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a little girl who became a princess. She lived in a beautiful country, filled with castles and lakes with tiny, little otters swimming about. The princess had two wonderful parents, both the king and queen of the kingdom and a rather, useless grandfather who was the king's father."

Hermione supressed a giggle as she grinned at Thomas. "It's me! I'm the princess!" Hermione exclaimed as Thomas laughed. "It's a story, Hermione."

"But it sounds like me! Except I'm not a princess."

"Every girl is a princess, Hermione," Thomas replied as Ron gave a smile. "But will you let me continue?" Thomas said as Hermione nodded though her face was now wide awake and eager to hear more.

"The princess loved to spend time with her grandfather and the pair of them would go through many adventures together. However, what neither the princess nor the grandfather knew was that their kingdom had a secret. Deep within the kingdom, hidden amongst the normal folk, were a bunch of…magical people. People who could cast spells and perform all kinds of magic."

Hermione's eyes widened to the size of saucers though she kept quiet, refusing to interrupt her grandfather.

"One day, the grandfather, who was a hunter by day, went on a hunting trip. He was caught by some bad people and as he fought back, the grandfather accidentally…killed two of these magical people." Thomas spoke as he averted his gaze from Hermione. "The grandfather was distraught, he didn't mean to do it but it was done and the worst part was that these two magical people were husband and wife and they had a family."

"Family?" Hermione repeated.

"Seven kids," Thomas replied as Ron held his breath. "Seven kids who will not see their parents anymore because the grandfather had accidentally killed them when he thought they were the bad people. The grandfather was distraught. He couldn't believe what he had done. And so, the grandfather went back to his kingdom to seek justice."

"Jus-tis?" Hermione spoke softly as Thomas nodded.

"The grandfather wanted to be punished. He _needed_ to be punished for what he had done."

"But…accident!" Hermione cried out in disbelief as Thomas shook his head.

"Even accidents have consequences, Hermione. You won't understand this but it is important that justice be served. But there was a problem. Because the grandfather was the king's father, they didn't want to punish him. The magical folk were angry but they had to agree to it because they lived in the kingdom."

"So the grandfather is okay?" Hermione said hopefully as Thomas shook his head.

"The grandfather felt worse than ever. But then, he heard a piece of incredible news. His granddaughter, the princess, was actually one of these magical folk. This scared the grandfather because that meant that one day, the granddaughter would have live among these magical folk. The next day, one of the magical people met with the grandfather."

"Who was it?" Hermione asked.

As Thomas Granger gave a description of the person, Ron let out a gasp as his heart pounded in his chest. _ No, it couldn't be…_

"The magical folk were very angry because they hated the normal people and hated that the grandfather was not being punished. So they made a vow that once the granddaughter was old enough to live with the magical folk, they would hurt the princess for what the grandfather did."

"No!" Hermione called out.

"The grandfather didn't know what to do. He loved his granddaughter so much and it was not fair that the princess was punished for something he did. So the grandfather made a deal. He would seek out a form of punishment befitting of what he had done and the magical folk would leave the princess alone."

"What did he do?" Hermione squeaked, her voice barely a whisper as Thomas held a pained look to his face.

"The grandfather…he went away. Far away where no one will ever find him again." Thomas spoke softly as Ron felt a chill going down his spine.

"Princess?" Hermione said as Thomas gave his granddaughter a smile. "Well, before the grandfather left on his journey, he went to see the princess one last time. And do you want to know what he said to her?" Thomas asked as Hermione nodded her head fervently though her eyes appeared to be closing. Thomas cleared his throat as he held Hermione's hand gently while speaking a tender, loving voice.

"Princess, you are by the the most brilliant person I have ever met. There wasn't a mystery or problem you couldn't solve. When you hear about what happened to me, you might not understand why I had to do what I did and that's okay. Because some things in the world can't be explained. They can't be understood, not by rational thought, not by logic, not by reasoning. You might beat yourself trying to understand why I could not just stay in my kingdom, protected by the safety of my family and continue to be here for you until the end of your days. Because I could have, I could have figured out a solution that would have allowed me to stay. But I fear that solution would have come at a cost, one in which I am never prepared to pay."

Thomas let out a tiny sneeze as he beamed at Hermione.

"Love makes us do silly things, Princess, and I love you, very, very much. I love you more than there are stars in the sky and water on this earth. Even if you take all the love that everyone has for each other and multiple it by infinity, it would still pale in comparison to how much I love you and I love you so, _so much._ I wish I could be here for you until the rest of your days but I'm afraid that can't happen. Instead, I only wish to say this. You once told me that I was your favourite teacher, that I taught right from wrong, taught you about the world, about people. Did you know that you were teaching me too? Every lesson about good and kind and sweet, I learnt as much from you as you did from me. So I'm not worried about you, Princess, because you're going to be just fine. And you ever feel down or if darkness gets to you, just remember who you are. You are a Princess and you will one day be a Queen but most important of all, you will always be my granddaughter and that to me will always be the most cherished thing in my life. I love you and I am proud of you. Always."

Young Hermione had fallen asleep, her eyes now shut as her tiny chest heaved with every breath. Ron watched as Thomas Granger looked down at his daughter, his eyes still wet from tears. Thomas pulled Hermione's blanket up as he reached for the toy otter, tucking it between the girl's arms. Brushing Hermione's fringe aside, Thomas leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep tight, my Princess," Thomas whispered as he continued to weep.

All his life, Ron had always pictured the man who killed his parents as a monster. Monsters were evil and picturing the Muggle as a brutal, sadistic killer of wizards was an easy thing to do. Yet as Ron watched Thomas crying by the bedside of his beloved granddaughter, his heart sank to the bottom. This wasn't an evil monster. Monsters don't cry. Monsters don't feel sorry for what they have done. Monsters don't feel love for others besides themselves. Thomas Granger wasn't a monster at all. He was nothing but a broken man who made a horrible mistake.

_Mistake. Accident._

And for the first time in Ron's entire life, he felt sympathy for Thomas Granger. He now saw what he always missed in the memory of his parents' murder, that Thomas was horrified at what he had done, that he was confused at being under the Imperius Curse, that he was scared and it was his fear more than anything else that caused him to react this way. Though Ron never really knew his father, he wondered if Arthur Weasley, the wizard who loved Muggles more than anything else, would be ashamed of his son for what became of him.

Ron felt his tears trickling to the floor as he looked at Thomas who was now wiping his tears with a determined look on his face.

"Weak. That's all he ever was."

The voice nearly made Ron jump out of his skin as he turned to see Tom behind him, smirking back.

"Is that tears I see on you, Weasley?" Tom snorted as he crossed his arms. "By Salazar, you are weak! You should be rejoicing! Thomas Granger is about to kill himself. Look at him there, now writing his suicide note."

Ron whipped his head around fast to see that Thomas was now seated at Hermione's desk with a pen and paper in his hand. Looking over the Muggle's shoulder, Ron's eyes widened in alarm at what Thomas was writing.

"No!" Ron cried as he tried to stop Thomas, only for his hands to move through the Muggle like a ghost. "No, stop!"

"Stop?" Tom cried incredulously. "He's a monster. He deserves to die!"

"No, he doesn't!" Ron snapped back, his eyes now burning with rage. "It was an accident. A _fucking_ accident. He's not a monster, he's just a man who made a mistake."

"A mistake that cost your parents' lives and your future!" Tom reminded Ron. "Look at what happened to you because of it! This is his fault! Everything that has happened to you is all his fault!" Tom exclaimed as Ron shook his head.

"No, it's not," Ron said as he turned his attention to Thomas Granger. "Bad things to happen to us, that's just life. What happened to my parents wasn't murder, it was a scared man who acted out and regretted what he did ever since he did it. He wanted justice but they never gave to him because he was a Muggle." Ron said, recalling the story. "And now, he's being forced to take his own life because if he doesn't, his granddaughter would suffer for what he did. It's not right. It's not fair."

"It is fair. A life for a life." Tom said as Ron took a step towards the wizard, his eyes fuming.

"The world isn't black and white, Tom! He's taking his own life just as your mother took hers to protect you! You want to talk about monsters? The only monster I see here is you. You took revenge on your grandparents for your mother and yet you killed your father who was innocent. You killed Myrtle in an accident yet you never showed any remorse the way Thomas Granger did. You plotted your rise to power, killing and hurting Muggles and wizards along the way yet you forget that Mrs. Cole, the woman who took care of you, was a Muggle and she was kind. You're filled with nothing but self-loathing, hatred and just pure_…evil._ You once said there was no such thing as a good Muggle? Your father, Mrs. Cole, Hermione!" Ron roared. "They were all good Muggles!"

"And him?" Tom said as he pointed at Thomas. "Is he good too?"

For a brief moment, Ron was stumped. It felt strange to call a person who killed your parents good but at that moment, Ron realised something else as well. _The world isn't black and white._ Merope Gaunt, who had lived a life of abuse succumb to her temptations to trick a man to marry her yet she sacrificed her life for her son. Dumbledore, who lied and manipulated people, did so for the best intentions because he didn't want to see them go through the pain. And then there was him. How many times had he insulted and bullied Muggleborns? How many times did he, like Ginny said, chose the wrong path? Was it fair to judge a person on their worst days? As Ron looked at Thomas, he felt his sympathy growing.

"Yes," Ron said softly as Thomas tucked his note into his pocket. Turning around to give Hermione one last kiss, Thomas headed towards the door.

"Don't!" Ron yelled and to his surprise, Thomas seemed to hesitate. For a moment, Ron thought that Thomas had somehow heard him through the veil until he noticed Thomas's eyes were staring directly at the sleeping Hermione.

"Don't do it." Ron pleaded, not caring if it was all in vain. "Your granddaughter, she grows up to be an incredible person, Thomas. She's caring and kind and she's…she's really good." Ron said, choking up as Tom let out a snort of derision. Ignoring Tom, Ron continued to speak.

"I know it seems like there's no other way. I know it seems like you have to _do_ this but you don't! Your granddaughter once told me that if we only think that the desperate option is the right one, the only one, then all we're doing is convincing ourselves that it is the right thing to do. But this isn't the right thing to do. This isn't the right thing to do! You don't have to kill yourself!"

Ron felt a rush of anger at the person who had threatened Thomas Granger yet he pushed that thought out of his head.

"Your granddaughter, she needs her grandfather. I know what it's like to grow up with someone you love missing in your life. And although she seems fine, we both know that her world would be better, much, much better with you in it. Don't let your guilt consume you…don't…don't do this."

For a brief moment, Thomas's expression started to change as a smile broke on his lips, his eyes shimmering in the light of the room as Ron stood directly in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Thomas Granger whispered and with that, the Muggle opened the door and left Hermione's room. Ron attempted to follow him but found himself being blocked by some invisible force.

"Thomas!...THOMAS!" Ron yelled at the top of his lungs as he tried desperately to push past the force but to no avail. "Don't do this! For the love of Merlin, don't do this!"

"He can't hear you, Ron." Tom mocked as he let out an evil laugh. "He can't hear you because he's dead! Look at you, talking to me about weakness when here you are, a pathetic mess! You were actually crying for your parents' murderer, Ron! You! A bloody Pureblood crying over a Muggle! What a waste! What a useless waste of a wizard. Oh well, playtime's over. It's time for me to take control."

With that, Ron felt a force pull him away from the door as he crashed into the pink wall of Hermione's room. He could see Tom smirking at him, his hand poised to snap once more. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron caught sight of the sleeping Hermione, unknown to what was happening and what was about to happen. As Ron stared at the light creeping in from the hallway through the space of the slightly ajar door, he felt something heavy rising off him, a weight that he had carried for the past six years of his life.

"I forgive you," Ron said as he closed his eyes, his final thought turning to Thomas Granger as Tom snapped his fingers.

…..

"_He told me in his mind that in order for you to find the strength to beat Tom, you need to find a power in which Tom knows not. Something that Tom could never do. He said that you have it in you, a force so powerful that it diminishes everything around them. Only when you choose to truly embrace it, will you have the strength to defeat Tom and free yourself from this prison."_

SNAP!

SNAP!

SNAP!

Ron's eyes burst open. He stared up at Tom who looked confused and angry, glaring at Ron as he continued to snap his fingers.

"What the hell?" Tom said as all of a sudden, Ron felt a soothing warmth flow through his body. His senses began to perk up as Ron felt more alert than ever, more wary of everything that was going on. It felt almost as if his body was now in tune with his mind and with that, Ron felt a sense of power radiating through him.

_A force so powerful that it diminishes everything around them._

Ron turned his attention to Tom, giving the wizard the same smirk that he had so often thrown back at Ron.

"Looks like you're not in charge anymore." Ron said as Tom shot him a furious glare.

"I am in charge!" Tom snapped with rage as he snapped his fingers once more. "I am Lord Voldemort, sorcerer supreme and I control _everything_ in here! I destroyed Dumbledore, I destroyed Hermione and I will destroy you!"

"Oh…" Ron said as he closed his eyes. For reasons unknown, Ron could feel Dumbledore's and Hermione's presence in him, swimming about in Tom's body. "Thanks for reminding me." With that, Ron raised his own hand and snapped his fingers.

Tom Riddle let out a bloodcurdling scream as he collapsed to the floor. As he did, two white shiny orbs rose out from Tom's head and began to shake. Soon, the orbs shifted themselves into two figures as Ron watched Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger materialise right before his eyes.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled as she threw her arms around him as Albus gave Ron a grateful smile.

"You did it, my boy," Dumbledore whispered, his face beaming with pride.

"He did?" Hermione cried as Ron gave her an incredulous look.

"Always the tone of surprise with you, eh Granger?"

"Shut up, Weasley." Hermione smiled as she gave him a light punch before staring about her room. "What are we doing here?!"

"We should go," Ron said hastily to the pair of them before turning to Tom who was still writhing in pain.

"You're a fool, Ronald Weasley." Tom hissed as he glared angrily back at Ron. "I tried to give you a path to save your friends but you chose wrong! And now they will all die, all of your friends, all of your family, everyone you cared about! The other me will burn you and everyone else to the ground. You will lose…everything!"

"Not if I beat you first. Time for you to die, Tom."

For a fleeting second, Ron could see the fear in Tom's eyes before it turned into an incredulous stare. "And you really you think you stand a chance?" Tom spat indignantly. "You, a lowly wizard against the might of a DARK LORD?! What makes you believe for a second that you can win?"

Ron placed his head close to Tom as he whispered angrily into his ear.

"Because I'm not alone like you." And with that, Ron raised his hand and snapped his fingers as darkness began to descend all around them as the final image Ron saw before the darkness came was of a screaming Tom Riddle in pain and fear.

…

"Ron? Ron, wake up!"

_What?_ Ron thought as his eyelids fluttered open as light rushed into his eyes, momentarily blinding him. As he let out a groan, Ron rubbed his eyes and allowed his vision to settle. In front of him was a smiling Hermione helping him to his feet while behind her, a visibly tired yet otherwise perfectly alive Dumbledore look at him with concern.

"It's over," Hermione said as she pointed to the floor. There, next to Ron, was the discoloured, blackened diadem looking as if it had been greatly burned to a crisp.

"Did we destroy it?" Ron said as Hermione gave a shrug before turning to Dumbledore who nodded his head.

"While indeed the sword would have destroyed the container, you, Ronald, destroyed the Horcrux inside. Tom was overwhelmed with your power and thus, you killed the Horcrux." Dumbledore said as Hermione shot Ron an admiring look.

"So how did you do it? How did you beat him?" Hermione asked as Ron hesitated. He wasn't sure how to tell Hermione about the final memory. Probably because she was too young to remember exactly what happened, Hermione did not remember that night with her grandfather. Before he could say anything, Dumbledore came to his rescue.

"Ronald found the key to stopping Voldemort. That is all that matters." Dumbledore said as Hermione opened her mouth to speak before thinking better of it. "Besides, what is more important is that Tom is no longer lingering inside Ronald's head and the timeline has remained intact since you and I are still alive, Miss Granger, so I would suggest that it would be better if….Ronald, what are you doing?"

CLANG!

Ron had reached for Gryffindor's sword which was lying close to his feet and had swung it hard upon the diadem. The diadem had split apart into pieces upon impact, its remnants now corroded with the Basilisk venom.

"Can't be too careful," Ron said as Hermione nodded while Dumbledore gave a laugh before wheezing and clutching his head.

"Professor!" Ron and Hermione cried in unison as they rushed to their Headmaster's aid only for him to wave them off.

"Not to worry, not to worry," Dumbledore reassured them with a smile. "I'm just a little tired from this ordeal and I will be back at full strength once I had a cup of tea. Can I interest you both in joining me at my office?"

"Of course," Hermione said as Ron nodded. "Do you need help to get there, Headmaster?" Hermione asked as Dumbledore gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you Miss Granger, but I am fine. I'm still strong for my age, you know, just shy for a hundred a twenty. Rather young, don't you think?" Dumbledore said with a chuckle as Hermione and Ron smiled at the professor. "Anyways, I can't believe I'm saying this but you should take a nap, Ronald. Just so we can ensure that the timeline has remained intact." And with that Dumbledore headed towards the door of the Room of Requirement.

"Geez, I wonder if I'll be that nutty when I'm that old," Ron said as he stared at the departing wizard. Turning his attention to Hermione, Ron noticed her looking strangely at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Hermione sighed as she took a deep breath. "That was quite an experience, wasn't it? I'm just glad got out of it safely."

"Yeah…"Ron said softly.

"Dumbledore's right," Hermione said as she pointed to his robes. "You should sleep."

"Really? After all that, I have to go back in my head again?" Ron groaned as Hermione gave him a gentle smile.

"I know, I know. Seems foolish but at least, we can be sure that the timeline hasn't changed. Because if it does…"

"I would have to remember not to put the Horcrux on my head and destroy that damned thing the first chance I get?" Ron joked as Hermione's smile disappeared from her face. Ron reached into his robes before the thought occurred to him.

"Don't," Hermione said as Ron gave her a puzzled look. "I know what you're thinking but don't do it."

"Hermione…" Ron whispered as Hermione closed her eyes before shaking her head fervently.

"Don't, Ron. I want to remember the truth. I want to know the truth. It's better this way."

"How?" Ron said as he reached for her cheek, his hand touching her cold, smooth skin. "How is this better?"

"Because you don't have to go through it alone," Hermione said as she stared at Ron with soft, hazel eyes. "Because at least now, I know the truth about my grandfather."

"Hermione…"

"Ron, please…" Hermione pleaded as Ron stared into her eyes. With a reluctant nod, Ron had a relenting shrug. "Okay."

"Thank you," Hermione said as Ron reached into his robes, his left hand pulling out the blue bottle as he pushed the cork open with his thumb. Ron looked at Hermione, the short bushy-haired witch gave him a bittersweet smile though her strong front looked ready to break once more. Ron thought back to what Thomas Granger had said as he looked at his granddaughter for the last time.

Words willed themselves to escape from Ron's lips but they were blocked by a lump in his throat. Ron wanted to tell Hermione that he had forgiven Thomas. That Thomas shouldn't have killed herself just because he was forced to do so. Ron wanted to recount to Hermione the story of the grandfather and his princess and to reassure Hermione that despite her thoughts, her grandfather had died a good man.

Yet none of them came. Instead, Ron repeated the same, melancholic words said thirteen years ago from a grandfather to his young granddaughter who was blissfully ignorant of the past.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Ron whispered as with that, he raised his right hand where a red potion bottle was held, its opening uncorked and its contents being poured down Ron's lips.

….

.

.

"So Miss Granger doesn't know?" Dumbledore sighed as Ron gave a nod. It was early the next morning and Ron having woken up, had left the Slytherin common room and made his way to Dumbledore's office. There, he recounted his journey with the Horcrux, sharing everything from his own memories to those of Tom before revealing how he had chosen to go back in time, grabbing the sword and destroying the Horcrux so that neither Hermione nor Dumbledore would remember what happen.

"Why?" Dumbledore asked tentatively as Ron gave a shrug.

"I didn't want Hermione to grow up knowing the truth about her grandfather," Ron said as he let out a deep breath. "I get why you kept the truth. Sometimes it's better to believe in the lie than to deal with the painful truth."

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled with sadness as he heaved a sigh. "I never wanted to hide anything from you, Ronald. I guess you know everything now. All I can do is offer my apology and hope you'll forgive this old man who made a lot of mistakes but who always had your best interests at heart."

"There's nothing to forgive," Ron said as he gave Dumbledore a smile. "I've been living with the past for far too long. It's time to move on."

"That is very mature of you, Ronald, if I may so, myself. Then again, that was exactly how you were able to defeat Voldemort."

"Sorry?"

Dumbledore gave Ron a warm smile as his blue eyes twinkled more than ever. "Do you know what is the strongest thing a person can do? Out of all the qualities a good person can possess, none is greater than that of mercy. Forgiving someone is a power so strong, so divine that it has no equal to it. True forgiveness is a strength, unlike anything than even our magic can offer. When you forgave Thomas Granger, you not only forgave a man who took everything from you but you also forgave everyone who had ever wronged you including me and more importantly, yourself."

"I did…" Ron sighed, recalling the weight that was lifted from his shoulders.

"You did," Dumbledore spoke proudly. "You did something very few people will ever have the strength to do. All of that, forgiveness, mercy, guilt, sympathy, all of that are things that few people, let alone someone like Tom Riddle can ever hope to understand. But you did and in order for you to truly understand, I was not able to tell Miss Granger explicitly. You had to figure it out on your own, Ron and it is here that I must offer my congratulations and my gratitude because not only did you went toe to toe with a Horcrux and survive but you managed to triumph against your own demons. True forgiveness takes courage, Ronald, which is why I suppose the Hat had wanted to sort you into Gryffindor."

"Yeah…" Ron replied as his cheeks turned pink, recalling the embarrassing moment when he thought he had the upper hand against Tom. "Can't believe that Tom actually sent me into Hermione's memory. He gave me the tools to beat him right there."

Dumbledore let out a chuckle. "I believe when Tom sent you to confront your parents' murderer, he was hoping for one of two things. Either you would be so angry at Thomas that you willed him dead, thereby tearing your soul apart or you would collapse after finding out the truth with regards to Thomas Granger's suicide."

Ron's ears perked up upon hearing this as he stared at Dumbledore. "Did you know? About –"

"To be completely honest," Dumbledore said, cutting Ron off. "I did _suspect _it but I did not know for sure. I couldn't imagine why such a person would do such a thing but I believe that is a tale for another time."

"I suppose it is," Ron said as he stood to his feet. "Thank you for everything, Professor," Ron said as Dumbledore shook his head with a laugh.

"No, I should be the one thanking you, Ronald. In fact, I hereby award Slytherin House a hundred points for your strength and valour."

Now it was Ron's turn to laugh as he gave Dumbledore a sheepish grin.

"Damn, Draco is so going to kill me but I'm afraid you can't do that," Ron said as Dumbledore gave him a puzzled look. "The timeline doesn't want me to tell you about what happened. This is my second time telling you all this. It seems that you knowing about it changes the timeline."

"Ah, I see," Dumbledore said as he gave Ron a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry that you have to be the only one that carries the truth."

"It's okay," Ron said as he waved his hand. "I'm used to it. I better get going back to my dormitory. Might as well sleep in comfort."

"Well, since the timeline would be changed, might I suggest you just sleep here? I don't have a bed here but I can certainly make one for you?" Dumbledore said as he waved his wand. The chair Ron was seated in began to change shape and in its place, a four-poster bed appeared with green covers.

"Woah!" Ron cried in amazement. "Wicked!"

Dumbledore chuckled as he made his way to his door. "Least I could do. I'll make sure you're not disturbed."

"Professor?" Ron called out as Dumbledore turned back. "Can I ask you something? Something that's been bothering me and I didn't manage to ask you the first time round."

"Certainly, my boy," Dumbledore said as his eyes twinkled. "What is it?"

Ron let out a gulp as he twiddled his thumbs, his eyes now staring at the floor. "Throughout the entire thing with Tom, I couldn't help but think that he and I are similar in some ways. I know I'm not like him but that doesn't mean I won't turn out to be like him in the future. What if I do turn out like him? How can I stop it?" Ron spoke desperately as Dumbledore smiled at the young wizard.

…..

"Geez, Ron, you look like you hadn't slept in a week," Draco said as he and Ron made their way towards the Great Hall. Ron stifled a yawn as he stretched out his arms.

"Nah, just had a bad nightmare."

"Really? What happened? Did you fall off your broom while playing for the Cannons?" Draco laughed as Ron glared at him.

"No, you prat! Besides I could say the same for you."

"Hey, I have important things on my mind!" Draco said defensively as Ron rolled his eyes. _Don't I know it._

"Look out, here she comes." Draco said as without warning, Ron felt himself being accosted by a pair of arms hugging him tightly and nearly breaking his ribs.

"Ron!" Tracey Davis cried as Draco sniggered, only to be attacked by Pansy in the same way. "Oh, get off me, woman!" Draco snapped as he pushed Pansy off with the latter now looking pissed and disappointed.

"Tracey, I can't breathe…" Ron gasped as Tracey let go of her hold.

"Oh, Ron, I had the worst nightmare. We were going to get married and…" Tracey spoke as she trailed on, with Ron not paying it the slightest bit of attention. They were now at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall as Ron took a seat next to Theodore Nott. His eyes were plastered to the Gryffindor Table. He had seen the familiar bush of brown hair amidst the black Hogwarts robes with red and gold emblems. She walked past the pair of Harry and Neville before taking her seat next to his sister who was busy chatting away to one of her fellow fifth-years. Their eyes locked for a moment as a smile came upon Ron's lips, one in which Hermione returned. She appeared to raise her hand before thinking better of it and acknowledging him with a nod.

"Merlin, will you just go on a date with her already?!"

"What!" Ron cried, as he spun his head towards Theo who was smirking at a glowering Tracey who had been sitting across from him. _I didn't even realise she was there! _ Ron thought in horror as Tracey who had shown Theo a crude hand gesture turn her attention back to Ron.

"So, what do you think?" Tracey said as Ron stared at her, baffled as to what to say.

"Errr….yes?" Ron said as Tracey let out a squeal of joy while Daphne Greengrass who sat next to her rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm not going to play a third wheel on your date so either fix me up with someone bearable or count me out."

"What's going on now?" Ron whispered next to Draco who sniggered. "You're taking Tracey out to Hogsmeade this weekend. Enjoy."

"Bloody hell. Come with me!" Ron pleaded as Draco shook his head although he did look rather sympathetic. "No way! You're on your own, Weasley."

"Damn it!" Ron cursed.

"What was that, Ron?" Tracey demanded as Ron gave an awkward smile.

"Nothing. Just wish the weekend was sooner, that's all."

"Awwww!" Tracey cheered as all around the Slytherins made gagging sounds before resuming with their normal banter. Yet Ron's mind wasn't at the Slytherin table anymore. Instead, he continued to steal glances towards the Gryffindor table where Hermione was now conversing with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Throughout breakfast, Ron caught her stealing a few glances towards Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter.

_Harry Potter._

_Hermione Granger likes Harry Potter._

There was something uneasy about that sentence as Ron stared at Hermione Granger. His mind travelled back to the previous timeline with Dumbledore, the final speech the old man gave to him before he fell asleep.

"_Throughout the entire thing with Tom, I couldn't help but think that he and I are similar in some ways. I know I'm not like him but that doesn't mean I won't turn out to be like him in the future. What if I do turn out like him? How can I stop it?" Ron spoke desperately as Dumbledore smiled at the young wizard._

"_Ronald, I never once thought you would be anything like Tom. While you do have certain similarities in your story, you and Tom are quite different. Do you know that you're not the first person to ask me that? I remember a wizard, a little younger than you are now, but who had similarly fought and won against one of Tom's Horcruxes."_

"_Wait, you don't mean –"_

"_I do. Harry himself asked me that in his second year. It's a skill that Tom has, manipulating wizards like yourself into believing what you believe. Did you know that the Hat wanted to put Harry into Slytherin?"_

"_What?!" Ron cried in disbelief, trying to picture the Gryffindor in his house. Sure, Draco had tried to befriend him before their Sorting in the first year but now the thought of Harry being a Slytherin was as absurd as the Cannons being undefeated in the Quidditch League._

"_Yes. And do you know why he isn't in Slytherin? It's the same reason as yours." Dumbledore exclaimed as Ron's eyes widened._

"_He made a choice…"_

"_Precisely," Dumbledore said as he beamed at Ron. "_It is our choices, Ron, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

_Ron's face fell as soon as he heard Dumbledore "But I chose Slytherin. I chose the same path as Tom's."_

"_And I couldn't be more grateful for it," Dumbledore replied gently while beaming at Ron once more. "Every choice you made, every decision you took brought you where you are now. All the choices you made in the past, all of them took you where you needed to be and here you are, helping us to save the wizarding world and giving this old man one last chance to right a few wrongs before his time. If you had chosen Gryffindor, your path might be a different one, one that might be better for you but worse for the rest of us. But like you said to me once, you were done with the past. It's time to look forward."_

"_Yeah, to a future where somehow we can beat Tom and I won't end up being just like him." Ron sighed as Dumbledore shook his head._

"_You know. Forgiveness isn't the only thing that Tom isn't capable of." Dumbledore said as Ron's ears perked up. "Tom was never capable of love."_

"_Really? Seemed like he did love himself a lot." Ron grunted as Dumbledore nodded his head._

"_Well, that isn't love. That's his ego and his pride which is very much who he is. But Tom has never opened his heart out to anyone. Tom has never loved anyone. He is, in an ironically sad way, quite lonely." Dumbledore said with melancholy before turning his attention back to Ron. "So if you really want to not be like him, then open up your heart, Ronald Weasley. Give love a chance."_

_Love_ Ron thought as his heart sank. He turned his attention to Tracey who was now talking to Daphne about Madam Malkin's latest robes. While he did have feelings for Tracey back in his fourth year, Ron knew that those feelings were probably just lust. He had been eager to get a girlfriend back then but now something had changed. Ron recalled the speech that Aunt Narcissa had given him years ago about how she fell in love with Uncle Lucius. Ron doubt he had ever felt that way about anyone before.

He turned his attention back to Hermione who had just left her seat and was walking past Harry and Neville. Ron could see her and Neville locking eyes before looking away as Harry offered her a small wave. As he stared at this exchange, a voice in his head started to speak.

_Harry Potter. Hermione likes Harry, Ron! _

_Yes, I know that!_

_So don't let it get to you!_

_Why would I let it get to me?_

_You know why! Look, Dumbledore said open your heart, right? So there are plenty of other girls to open your heart too! Girls like Anastasia whom you've had a crush on. Or Daphne Greengrass! She's a Pureblood so it works out as well!_

_Yeah. Okay._

_Hermione likes Harry! Just remember that! No matter what, in the timeline, Hermione ends up with Harry! That is how it was always supposed to be!_

_Bloody hell! I know this! Would you quit bothering me with it?!_

_Well, since I AM you, you're just bothering with it yourself!_

_Why do I care if Hermione ends up with Harry!_

_You know why!_

"Mate you okay?" Draco asked, dragging Ron out of his thoughts. Ron gave one last glance towards Hermione who had not noticed him staring at her as she walked out of the Great Hall, her bushy brown hair bouncing as she left.

"I'm fine," Ron said as he smiled at Draco who beamed at him before returning to his conversation with Theo. As Ron participated in the usual Slytherin banter of insulting the other Houses and Christmas gifts, Ron's thoughts turned back to a familiar fair-skinned Gryffindor Muggleborn with her hazel eyes and bushy brown hair. The witch who loved to boss people around, who always got the answers right in class and who could annoy Ron to no end while also being the person who understood him best. The girl whose history was all mixed up with his, who had become his nemesis, who hated his guts and who was now helping him save the world.

.

.

.

Ron's heart skipped a beat.

**A/N: That concludes the Diadem storyline. I spent weeks researching on Tom's Riddle history in between my work and social life which is why Part Two took quite a while. Honestly, JK Rowling has built quite the world with her story and so many of it like Voldemort's Origins to the Marauders can certainly be made into a movie or TV show. I hope she does that someday.**

**With regards to Tom's history, as you know, I've made a few changes. One of the biggest issues that I faced was his timeline where I was trying to decide if the whole ring ordeal came first or him opening the Chamber of Secrets. HP Lexicon puts Tom as visiting his grandfather in 1942 before COS but other sources said 1943. This bugged me for days and in the end, I decided that Myrtle and COS came first before Tom went over to Morfin and subsequently, Riddle Manor. Also, the creation of Horcruxes bugged me as it was clear that Tom already had the ring when he asked Slughorn about Horcruxes, which could only mean that you don't need the death to be immediate before creating the Horcrux. So, I made the diary be the first, followed by the ring and then the diadem although someone pointed out to me that the diadem came much later. Nonetheless, for the purpose of this story, it came third.**

**Secondly, you will notice that in Tom's memory and other memories, I may have altered a few things. This is because it will become relevant in the upcoming chapters so stay tuned.**

**Lastly, because of its length, some parts might have grammatical errors that even as I edit, I will probably miss. Apologies for that. Just like Ron, I am done with his past and his parents and it is time to move on to other things like Harry and well, you know (winks).**

**Take care, readers! See you soon!**


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